Clyde Wells on Jacques Parizeau's death: 'Canada has lost a gentleman'

Former Newfoundland and Labrador premier Clyde Wells says his memories of former Quebec premier Jacques Parizeau are of a man who was always gentlemanly towards him despite stark political differences between the two. 

Parizeau, who nearly led Quebec to sovereignty in 1995, died on Tuesday at the age of 84.

Wells met the former Quebec leader in the mid 1990s, a few years after Newfoundland and Labrador's role in the failure of the Meech Lake Accord that would have recognized Quebec as a distinct society. 

The two men had brief encounters at premiers' meetings as well as as the annual conferences of the New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers, one of which was held in St. John's while Wells was premier. 

"The biggest reaction that I had was that Canada has lost a gentleman," Wells told CBC News regarding Parizeau's death.

Whenever they met, Wells said, Parizeau was always mannerly and respectful.

"Nothing that Mr Parizeau said to me or ever did in my presence led me to conclude that he held any animosity," he said.

"He may have disagreed with my views as I frequently disagreed with his, but he always did so in a gentlemanly manner."

Differences and some common ground

One of those key disagreements between them had to do with their visions for Canada. However, Wells insists some similarities did exist in the way the two approached issues of provincial sovereignty.

"His view was that Quebec should be an independent country, and I understood that," he said.

"I didn't share that view — I like Canada with Quebec. Canada is complete with Quebec and it would be quite incomplete without Quebec," he said in an interview. 

"But as to the manner in which the provinces of Canada should function … thinking in terms of the Meech Lake Accord, his views and mine were not greatly different."

Wells said despite privately opposing the push for Quebec independence, he never meddled in the 1995 referendum — an event which will likely be central to the story of Parizeau's legacy for decades to come.

"I didn't feel that I had any right to attempt to influence the voters of Quebec," said Wells.

"They would make their own decision for their own reasons."