Robert Bourassa

“We are Québécois. What we want is to be masters of our own house.”

“Quebec has all the appearances of a sovereign state. It has all the powers, except... basically, currency, foreign policy.”

“There are no winners in a constitutional crisis.”

“It's always better to negotiate from a position of strength.”

“What we want is a Canadian common market, but a common market with a political superstructure which is not based on the principle of centralization.”

“We have to choose our battles.”

“The James Bay project is not just a project. It is a state of mind.”

“My first duty is to be Premier of Quebec.”

“Independence is isolation.”

“Meech Lake is not a buffet where you can choose what you want.”

“Profitability is the criterion of efficiency.”