It was against this backdrop of recrimination and growing uncertainty that Bouchard replaced Parizeau as Quebec's premier last January. Until then, he'd led Quebec's Separatist delegation to Canada's federal parliament in Ottawa. A bilingual lawyer with an American wife, Bouchard is nonetheless a dedicated Separatist who said there will be another referendum on sovereignty sometime before the end of the century. Ladies and gentlemen, the premier of Quebec, Mr. Lucien Bouchard. But the new premier has also tried to calm the turbulent political waters he inherited from his predecessor.
Someone has to make the first move.
That's why I'm here. Last month, he told a group of prominent anglo Quebecers that they have no reason to fear for their future even if Quebec does become an independent country. He's also tried to persuade leading corporate executives that Quebec is and will remain a good place to invest and do business. But so far, Bouchard's efforts, while generally appreciated, have at best met with mixed results. The economy continues to bleed.