QUEBEC CITY – Premier Pauline Marois felt brave enough this session to tackle some of the most sensitive issues facing Quebec society Friday.
“We have to support the progress of the French language in Quebec,” Marois told reporters.
In March, the PQ brought its Bill 14, toughening the Charter of the French language, to the Red Room for public hearings. More than 80 groups dissected the piece of legislation, anglophones roaring their disapproval every step of the way. Three sections of the bill were especially contested: the Marois government’s intention to extend the language law to small businesses, revoke municipalities’ bilingual status when English population dips below 50 per cent and and take away military families’ right to send their kids to English school.
“More than anything else, Bill 14 attacks not only our due process of law, but attacks our very civil liberties by giving powers to agents of the state,” said Beryl Wajsman during the hearings.
Jean Robert from the Central Quebec School Board said, “When she says schools will not close, well I’m sorry, that is just not true.”
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In the end, the Coalition Avenir Quebec allowed the bill to pass the crucial second reading without getting the amendments it was clamouring for.
“The minister responsible for Montreal said in The Gazette that he was open for these amendments, but it looks like there was a fight after that inside the PQ,” said CAQ leader Francois Legault in his wrap-up.
On Friday, Marois felt the need to clarify.
“We are discussing about the bilingual status of the cities. But for the major aspects of the law we want to continue and sustain what we have in this project,” she said.
Marois invoked for the first time the possibility Bill 14 might not pass. She told reporters she can act to protect the French language in other ways.
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The Spring session saw the PQ government stumble in a number of files. There were partisan nominations, clumsy welfare and daycare reforms, and a ‘sovereignist governance’ plan to rev up the offensive against Ottawa that failed to produce the desired results. More recently, the PQ was criticized for sustaining a debate over religious headgear and for declaring the Quebec Soccer Federation is independent from its Canadian umbrella group.
“I think she saw in that field a way to promote another problem, create a war against Ottawa,” said Liberal Opposition Leader Jean-Marc Fournier.
The arrival of Philippe Couillard as Liberal leader shook up the political scene. The neurosurgeon leading in the polls is feeding rumours that a provincial election is imminent.
“What we’re doing is going around Quebec and talking not only about our policies but about our values,” said Couillard.
MNAs may be relieved to break for summer, but they won’t be resting for long. All of the hot potato issues brought forward by the Premier this session are pushed back to the Fall, delaying the inevitable but thorny debate over language and social inclusion in this province.
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