als . ▁ ▁Ob ser vers ▁expected ▁B ouch ard ▁to ▁announ ce ▁another ▁so vere ig nt y ▁refer endum ▁if ▁his ▁party ▁won ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 8 ▁Quebec ▁general ▁election . ▁While ▁he ▁defeated ▁Char est , ▁B ouch ard ▁continued ▁his ▁government ' s ▁focus ▁on ▁a uster ity . ▁B ouch ard ▁retired ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁and ▁was ▁replaced ▁by ▁Bernard ▁Land ry ▁who , ▁despite ▁prom ising ▁a ▁more ▁robust ▁st ance ▁on ▁the ▁so vere ig nt y ▁issue , ▁was ▁ou sted ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 3 ▁Quebec ▁general ▁election ▁by ▁Char est , ▁who ▁would ▁become ▁Premier . ▁ ▁Dist inct ▁society ▁and ▁v eto ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁refer endum , ▁Chr ét ien ▁attempted ▁to ▁purs ue ▁constitution al ▁recognition ▁of ▁distinct ▁society , ▁but ▁was ▁stopped ▁by ▁the ▁bl unt ▁ref us al ▁of ▁Ontario ▁Premier ▁Mike ▁Harris ▁to ▁discuss ▁any ▁constitution al ▁matters . ▁Not ▁wanting ▁to ▁eng age ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁negoti ations ▁with ▁provincial ▁govern ments ▁that ▁had ▁domin ated ▁the ▁Tru de au ▁and ▁Mul r oney ▁govern ments , ▁Chr ét ien ▁opt ed ▁to ▁purs ue ▁un il ater al ▁Federal ▁changes ▁to ▁ful fill ▁his ▁government ' s ▁commit ments . ▁This ▁included ▁the ▁Act ▁respect ing ▁constitution al ▁am end ments , ▁which ▁required ▁permission ▁from ▁the ▁provinces ▁of ▁Quebec , ▁Ontario ▁and ▁British ▁Columbia ▁for ▁Federal ▁appro val ▁to ▁be ▁granted ▁to ▁any ▁Constitution al ▁am end