sentences:  Quebec Premier Lucien Bouchard responded to Premier McKenna's letter of endorsement with a letter of his own, defending Quebec's right to secede with its territory intact.This in turn provoked an open letter from federal Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Stéphane Dion, arguing that partition was a legitimate option.Finally, on August 14, Quebec's deputy premier, Bernard Landry, responded with an open letter in "Le Droit", accusing partitionists of being anti-democratic.