Jean Allaire, the co-founder and inaugural leader of the Action démocratique du Québec (ADQ), passed away at the age of 96, as announced by his daughters through social media.
Allaire is most famously known for his influential report, the “Allaire Report,” which came about in response to the collapse of the Meech Lake Accord. This report steered the Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ) towards a path of unprecedented autonomy during that period.
Serving as the chair of the PLQ’s Constitutional Committee in 1991, Allaire, a lawyer, co-authored the report titled “A Quebec Free to Make Its Own Choices” following the failed Meech Lake Accord of the previous year.
The “Allaire Report” put forth bold suggestions for Robert Bourassa’s federalist party, notably advocating for the transfer of 22 powers in federal jurisdiction to Quebec.
Notably, the Allaire Report, adopted by the PLQ in March 1991, stipulated that if constitutional negotiations yielded no progress after 18 months, Quebec would conduct a sovereignty referendum.
During this time, Premier Robert Bourassa initiated the “Bélanger-Campeau Commission” to explore Quebec’s political and constitutional future, also proposing a referendum in 1992 if satisfactory constitutional reforms were not put forward.
Following this, the federal government under Brian Mulroney and the provinces proposed the “Charlottetown Accord,” which was accepted by Bourassa.
However, Allaire and other provincial Liberals, including Mario Dumont, opposed the agreement negotiated by the Mulroney government, ultimately resulting in its rejection by Canadians in a national referendum in October 1992.
Subsequently departing from the PLQ, Allaire founded a new center-right nationalist party in 1994, the ADQ, which he later transitioned to Mario Dumont’s leadership due to health issues.
In 2012, he supported the merger of the ADQ with François Legault’s Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ), a move acknowledged by the CAQ five years later.
Former Quebec Premier François Legault expressed his deep sorrow at Allaire’s passing, highlighting Allaire’s significant contributions to Quebec’s political landscape.
