Head of new Quebec sovereignty institute promises unbiased research
Daniel Turp, president of the new think tank, promises research will be done without political interferance
The newly created institute promises to be a think tank which is independent of political influence, even though it was created by Parti Québécois Leader Pierre Karl Péladeau and delivered as a campaign promise.
Daniel Turp, president of the Institut de recherche sur l'Autodétermination des peuples et des Indépendances nationales (IRAI), spoke to CBC Montreal's Daybreak about the centre's goals and their search for a director.
Here are edited excerpts of the former PQ MNA and Bloc Québécois MP's conversation with host Mike Finnerty.
How independent will the centre be from Péladeau?
Mr. Péladeau initiated choosing the director. But Mr. Péladeau will have no say in the content or research, or in the choice of researchers. I will ensure its independence. I will receive no instructions from Mr. Péladeau or from anyone else.
Hasn't Pierre Karl Péladeau donated $1 million?
I don't know. He hasn't put forward any amount or given any assurance of how much money he'll be donating. I know he wants to fund the institute in a significant fashion. But there are others who want to fund it and invest in research.
How can research be independent with such a high-profile politician creating it?
It's going to be a non-profit organization. We designed the organization in a way that it won't be linked to a political party. I'm an independently minded person and I won't be linked with a party. It will be a research institute.
Is sovereignty still relevant?
Thirty-five per cent of people believe it is. I always remind people that a few months before the referendum in 1995, 38 per cent of people favoured sovereignty but in October, 49 per cent voted for sovereignty.
As a professor, I'm in front of a classroom full of young people who really believe in independence.
This wont be about "selling sovereignty." This is about doing good research.