In 1995, my former and current boss, Scott White, The Conversation Canada‘s CEO, sent me to Montréal for a few weeks to work the referendum desk for The Canadian Press. It was a tense time, the culmination of years of constitutional turmoil between Québec and the rest of the country that came very close to the province seceding from Canada. The assignment — and the night the No side narrowly won — remains one of the most memorable of my journalism career.

Premier François Legault’s recent constitutional proposals have caused alarm in legal and political circles, particularly among those who still clearly remember that night 26 years ago and all the upheaval that lead up to it. Legault, himself a former separatist, has unveiled Bill 96 aimed at protecting the French language in Québec. The bill would change the Constitution Act of 1867 via two clauses asserting that Québec is a nation and that French will be the only official language of the province.

But is there less to Legault’s move than meets the eye?

Today in The Conversation Canada, Andrew McDougall of the University of Toronto argues it’s aimed at finding common ground between federalist and separatist voters in Québec a year ahead of a provincial election. He writes: “If Legault has read Québec voters correctly, he’ll be a political hero. But if — or when — this dies in the courts, there will be no other politician or other level of government to blame. And that keeps a lid on constitutional politics.”

Also today:

• The high cost of advocating for Palestine
• Post-secondary workplace harassment policies need to adapt to digital life
• Big data reveals inequities in federal funding for non-profits across Canada
• In music and film, a new Korean wave is challenging Asian stereotypes

All the best,