PQ values charter gets a new, 28-word name

QUEBEC – The Parti Quebecois’ controversial charter of values is being rebranded, and its official new name is less than succinct.

It will be tabled tomorrow as a bill in the legislature under the formal title: Charter Affirming The Values Of Secularism And The Religious Neutrality Of The State, As Well As The Equality Of Men And Women, And The Framing Of Accommodation Requests.

READ MORE: Controversial PQ values charter to be tabled Thursday

The minister responsible says he didn’t pick the name.

Bernard Drainville says the title was selected by government lawyers who worked on the bill, and he says they like long names that include all the major details in the title.

Charter Affirming The Values Of Secularism And The Religious Neutrality Of The State, As Well As The Equality Of Men And Women, And The Framing Of Accommodation Requests

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“There’s no new phrasing,” Drainville told reporters Wednesday.

“It’s the title of the bill. You need to give bills a title. Jurists are working on it. Jurists like giving bills long titles that – that’s the real reason.”

That suggests the government will keep referring to it as the Charter of Values – which has been the popular name for the plan since the PQ took office, although it was previously labelled the Charter of Secularism in the party’s last election platform.

The plan would force state employees to take off their headscarves, yarmulkes, turbans and larger-than-average crucifixes if they want to keep their jobs.

However, it appears to have no chance of passing in its current form, in the current legislature.

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The PQ has only a minority government and will have two basic options: water down the bill to get it adopted, or preserve it for an election campaign.

The PQ already appears to have done the latter with its language bill – which also couldn’t pass the legislature but will likely make a re-appearance in an eventual election.

The opposition Coalition party, which appears to have the swing vote on the issue, is imploring the PQ to act like a minority government and negotiate a more acceptable bill.

The exact contents have not been revealed but leaks to media suggest the bill will be tougher than the plan Drainville presented at a recent news conference.