astic ▁reform ▁of ▁Canadian ▁feder ation ▁instead ▁of ▁separation . ▁The ▁New ▁Democratic ▁Party ' s ▁official ▁position ▁was ▁that ▁the ▁result ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁recognized . ▁ ▁Neg oti ations ▁ ▁Little ▁planning ▁was ▁made ▁for ▁the ▁possibility ▁of ▁a ▁" Yes " ▁vote ▁by ▁the ▁Canadian ▁federal ▁government , ▁with ▁the ▁general ▁cons ensus ▁being ▁that ▁the ▁refer endum ▁would ▁be ▁easily ▁won ▁and ▁that ▁planning ▁would ▁spark ▁pan ic ▁or ▁give ▁the ▁refer endum ▁und es erved ▁legit im acy . ▁Some ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁federal ▁cabinet ▁met ▁to ▁discuss ▁several ▁possible ▁scenarios , ▁including ▁referring ▁the ▁issue ▁of ▁Quebec ' s ▁independence ▁to ▁the ▁Supreme ▁Court . ▁Senior ▁civil ▁servants ▁met ▁to ▁consider ▁the ▁impact ▁of ▁a ▁vote ▁for ▁se cess ion ▁on ▁issues ▁such ▁as ▁territorial ▁boundaries ▁and ▁the ▁federal ▁deb t . ▁A ▁dispute ▁arose ▁as ▁to ▁whether ▁Jean ▁Chr ét ien ▁and ▁many ▁prominent ▁members ▁of ▁Cab inet ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁elected ▁in ▁Quebec ▁rid ings ▁could ▁represent ▁Canada ▁at ▁a ▁hypoth et ical ▁partners hip ▁neg ot iation . ▁ ▁Mann ing ▁intended ▁to ▁immediately ▁call ▁for ▁Chr ét ien ' s ▁res ignation ▁and ▁for ▁a ▁general ▁election ▁if ▁the ▁refer endum ▁were ▁successful , ▁even ▁though ▁the ▁Liber als , ▁independently ▁of ▁their ▁Quebec ▁seats , ▁had ▁a ▁s izable ▁majority ▁in ▁the ▁House ▁of ▁Commons . ▁There ▁was ▁also ▁some ▁doubt ▁that ▁Chr ét ien ▁would ▁be ▁able ▁to ▁ass ure ▁the ▁Governor ▁General ▁that ▁he ▁retained ▁enough ▁support ▁within ▁his ▁party