Newfoundland Catholics, Pentecostals lose fight

Premier Brian Tobin called the results an "overwhelming majority." But many Catholics and Pentecostals, who are guaranteed the right to provide their own education under the Canadian Constitution, are not satisfied.

The September 2 referendum was the second within two years. In both, just over half the eligible voters cast ballots. But in the 1995 vote, only 56% said they were in favor of changing the constitution in order to reform the province’s education system.

"It’s an abdication of leadership on the part of the premier and his government," says Bonaventure Fagan, head of the Catholic Education Council. After a Supreme Court judge ruled the education minister was in error when he called for the closure of a number of denominational schools earlier this year, the government should have taken measures to correct that error. Instead, says Fagan, "they proceeded to call a referendum to recall people’s rights."

Melvin Regular, executive officer of the Pentecostal Education Committee, adds that the referendum is "just opinion seeking" and "has no legal standing. However, the provincial government will use that to frame a resolution."