QUEBEC CITY – The Quebec government announced Thursday that it intends to stop federal companies from getting provincial contracts if they don’t abide by Quebec’s French Language Charter and enforce French-in-the-workplace restrictions.
The idea was briefly floated last December and during the 2012 election campaign by both the Parti Québécois and the Liberals. Jean Charest told voters then that he wanted the French-language rules in Quebec’s Bill 101 to apply to federal institutions to help “promote and protect the French language and culture.”
It was also raised in October 2007 by then leader of the Bloc Québécois, Gilles Duceppe, who called on the Harper government to honour the terms of Bill 101 in industries under federal jurisdiction.
Quebec’s French Language Charter, or Bill 101, has been a political hot potato for many years. Introduced by René Lévesque’s PQ government in 1977, it was considered fundamental to making sure French-speaking Quebecers could work, shop, access government services and generally feel at home in their native language within the province.
The PQ made it clear during the election that they would reform the language bill, but with the Premier Marois now insisting that she won’t compromise on controversial amendments, it looks like the party’s proposed Bill 14 could go up in flames.
However Marois confirmed that her government would impose Bill 101 on companies and institutions under federal jurisdiction, whether or not Bill 14 is adopted.
“We will do that by rules, by règlement,” Premier Marois told a press conference in English.
“It’s important because the part of our economy which is the responsibility of federal organizations is very important in Quebec, so it is important to apply the law 101 or law 14 at these institutions and organizations.”
Effectively, it means at least 1,800 banks, telecommunications companies, airports, railways, marine shipping, uranium mining, fisheries and federal crown corporations – about 10 per cent of Quebec’s workforce – will now have to operate in French.
Cabinet ministers said that the idea is to protect the rights of French-speaking workers. The government plans to penalize companies that don’t conform by excluding them from public contracts.
The opposition has argued that there was nothing in the language bill to indicate the Marois government would move forward on this. Even Parti Quebecois staff have admitted that no impact studies have been conducted.
On Thursday, members of the opposition party Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ) were dumbfounded.
The Liberals noted that it’s another bad surprise for anglophones and allophones, suggesting that it’s a solution looking for a problem, and illustrates just how far the PQ is prepared to go to push its sovereignist agenda.
“Everytime they hear the word ‘federal’ they break out in a rash or something,” said the Liberal MNA for Jacques-Cartier, Geoffrey Kelley.
“I have not heard that either the right to work or the right to be served in a bank in Quebec for example has been compromised, so I think they’re trying to stir up a pot. They’re disappointed because the debate over Bill 14 isn’t going the way they want it to go.”
The PQ has yet to table amendments to their controversial language reform.
The CAQ, which holds the balance of power in this debate, said no one from the government has approached them yet to negotiate.
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