al ▁deb ates . ▁Provin cial ▁govern ments ▁were ▁also ▁far ▁more ▁host ile ▁to ▁the ▁constitution al ▁process ▁than ▁they ▁had ▁been ▁in ▁the ▁de cade ▁prior , ▁with ▁even ▁the ▁federal ▁government ' s ▁typical ▁al ly , ▁Ontario , ▁being ▁firm ly ▁against ▁any ▁purs uit ▁of ▁constitution al ▁accommod ation . ▁ ▁French ▁President ▁Jacques ▁Chi rac , ▁while ▁answering ▁a ▁call ▁from ▁a ▁vie wer ▁in ▁Montreal ▁on ▁CNN ' s ▁Larry ▁King ▁Live , ▁declared ▁that , ▁if ▁the ▁" Yes " ▁side ▁were ▁successful , ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁the ▁refer endum ▁had ▁succeeded ▁would ▁be ▁recognized ▁by ▁France . ▁ ▁At ▁a ▁federal ist ▁r ally ▁of ▁about ▁ 1 2 , 5 0 0 ▁people ▁which ▁was ▁held ▁at ▁the ▁Verd un ▁Aud itor ium ▁on ▁October ▁ 2 4 , ▁Chr ét ien ▁introduced ▁a ▁focus ▁on ▁Quebec ' s ▁emot ional ▁attachment ▁to ▁Canada , ▁promised ▁re forms ▁to ▁give ▁Quebec ▁more ▁power , ▁and ▁in ▁a ▁more ▁start ling ▁announ cement , ▁declared ▁that ▁he ▁would ▁support ▁en sh rin ement ▁of ▁Quebec ▁as ▁a ▁distinct ▁society ▁and ▁that ▁he ▁would ▁support ▁re forms ▁to ▁the ▁Canadian ▁constitution . ▁The ▁sudden ▁revers al ▁of ▁Chr ét ien ' s ▁long - standing ▁position ▁on ▁the ▁issue , ▁along ▁with ▁Chr ét ien ' s ▁w an ▁complex ion ▁and ▁at yp ically ▁nerv ous ▁appearance , ▁spark ed ▁considerable ▁comment . ▁Char est ▁further ▁emphas ized ▁his ▁commit ment ▁to ▁constitution al