Le premier des colonisés

 Le premier des colonisés (irpp.org)

François Legault apparait de moins en moins comme un converti au fédéralisme, et de plus en plus comme le porte-drapeau des souverainistes revanchards.

Vives tensions entre Radio-Canada et CBC

 L’utilisation du mot commençant par un N à ICI Radio-Canada Première, la réprimande du CRTC et la manière d’y répondre ont profondément divisé les directions de CBC et de Radio-Canada. La décision du diffuseur public – présenter ses excuses au plaignant, mais contester l’ingérence de l’organisme fédéral – découle d’un bras de fer « extrêmement tendu » entre les services français et anglais. L’interprétation des Normes et pratiques journalistiques fait aussi débat.

Vives tensions entre Radio-Canada et CBC | La Presse

Canada is not broken - Macleans.ca

Scott Gilmore: Despite our flaws and constant challenges, we live in what is arguably among the least broken countries in human history
 
https://www.macleans.ca/opinion/canada-is-not-broken/

Here is the National Post’s headline this morning: “‘Canada is broken’ says majority of Canadians”. It is the lead story, and it goes on to explain that a poll by DART & Maru/Blue (a brand name that sort of just rolls off the tongue) found that 59 per cent of Canadians believe the country is not headed in the right direction. And 69 per cent believe the country is “broken”.

Another way of describing that poll result could be, “Over two thirds of Canadians have no idea the country has never had it so good”.

At least 22 Indigenous women underwent forced sterilization in Quebec from 1980-2019: report

 

Researchers call on province to recognize existence of systemic racism in Quebec

At least 22 Indigenous women underwent forced sterilization in Quebec from 1980-2019: report | CBC New

Angus Reid Institute: Divergent Bilingualism, Linguistic Anxieties, and Bill 96

 Microsoft Word - 2021.08.13_Bill_96_Report_ENG.docx (angusreid.org)

Frédéric Bérard: «Il n’y a pas de complot contre le Québec»

 https://journalmetro.com/actualites/1112620/frederic-berard-il-ny-a-pas-de-complot-contre-le-quebec/?fbclid=IwAR13js6AthdBz-tH1OSD89CHNZCMRkKDvAINJdKH3tFZHAY5xBMsfl5_zSc

Gazette: Menchie’s gets taste of language controversy (West Island Gazette)

Menchie’s gets taste of language controversy | West Island Gazette

“(The inspector) examined the spoons and said, ‘You only have English on the spoons,’ and ‘you can’t have that.’ So we took them out,” Lipper said.  Lipper then had his manager run out and buy generic white plastic spoons and immediately started using them.

 As for the statement issued last Friday by the OQLF that the media incorrectly reported that he had been told not to use the spoons and that its investigation was not complete, Lipper said the inspector was very clear. She told him to stop using the spoons until he heard back from the Office.

Robert Libman: Ottawa's new language law is troubling for Quebec anglos

 

Tabled earlier this year, C-13 advances the notion that French not only needs protection in the rest of Canada, but in Quebec as well, something the Coalition Avenir Québec government had been pushing for. Quebec’s language minister, Jean-François Roberge, revealed this week he had spoken with Petitpas Taylor . His message? “French is still fragile in Quebec, and this has to be recognized by Bill C-13.”

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/robert-libman-ottawa-s-new-language-law-is-troubling-for-quebec-anglos/ar-AA14h7aC?ocid=EMMX&cvid=83f3360ca46546928b927f56fe7cd4bd&fbclid=IwAR0sDQ6ldaCj74l_MBp2aDW0JZ3ki4vTZMJMqpg9Tmnke4Iaym-tF-wY9Js

 

Quebecers are fine with use of term 'systemic racism,' despite rejection by political leaders: study

https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/quebecers-are-fine-with-use-of-term-systemic-racism-despite-rejection-by-political-leaders-study-1.5606348?cid=sm%3Atrueanthem%3Actvmontreal%3Atwitterpost&taid=6156611c76ce4600013951bf&utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A%20Trending%20Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter&fbclid=IwAR2_Z89KrYDFINVDvDWr2Xe9DUdEjeROa_Q__oFkLVRuQSe7iNLse6g7JN0

Actually, supporters of the notwithstanding clause in Quebec are in the minority

 Actually, supporters of the notwithstanding clause in Quebec are in the minority (cultmtl.com)

Tom Mulcair: National unity is on the table as Parliament discusses Bill C-13

Tom Mulcair: Bilingualism in the line of fire | CTV News

Quebec is no Louisiana, experts say as premier accused of stoking immigration fears

 Premier François Legault’s assertion that Quebec risks turning into Louisiana if the province doesn’t have more control over immigration is based more in pre-election posturing than reality, opposition politicians and experts said this week.

Legault has faced accusations of stoking fears about newcomers after he told delegates at his party’s convention on the weekend that the survival of the Quebec nation depended on the federal government granting Quebec more power over who can immigrate to the province.

The premier even warned that Quebec could become like the state of Louisiana — formerly under the control of France — where only a fraction of the population still speaks French.

Quebec is no Louisiana, experts say as premier accused of stoking immigration fears | Globalnews.ca

Opinion: Unilingualism of plaque in Parc de Dieppe is shameful

Poetry collection The Good Arabs wins Grand Prix du livre de Montréal

 According to the city, it’s only the second time since 1965 the award has gone to a book published in English. The award comes with a $15,000 grant.

Poetry collection The Good Arabs wins Grand Prix du livre de Montréal (msn.com)

Quebec’s attempt to unilaterally amend the Canadian Constitution won’t fly

 Quebec’s attempt to unilaterally amend the Canadian Constitution won’t fly (irpp.org)

The courts are unlikely to allow Quebec’s Bill 96 to make unilateral changes to the Constitution around provincial language rights and nationhood.

EDITORIAL: BQ leader should get his facts right

 As if on cue, Bloc Quebecois leader Yves-Francois Blanchet delivered a caustic speech on Tuesday, condemning the monarchy as “racist” and “archaic,” and brought forward a motion calling for Canada to sever ties with it.

It’s as if he could barely wait for the Queen to be buried before launching an ill-informed and historically inaccurate attack on the Crown.

His casual use of toxic words serves only to inflame divisions within this country instead of seeking ways to make this great, diverse nation work for everyone. He must get his “history” from Netflix.

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/world/editorial-bq-leader-should-get-his-facts-right/ar-AA13uPF5?cvid=b6f74eef96f1423fc8c9e8a0f72b5aca&ocid=winp2sv1plustaskbar&fbclid=IwAR3ciTYfGa2s-OBoFuVUF8HbOjmDURgdUubYhosMVffzBkzDYbsl5bbwp7U

Macpherson: New bouts of indig-nationalism over flags

A proposed Quebec-anglo flag was a rejection of "the Quebec flag," "all the symbols of the Québécois nation," and "the Québécois people.”

https://theprovince.com/opinion/columnists/macpherson-new-bouts-of-indig-nationalism-over-flags/wcm/b5ce61f2-ad65-4e44-acde-f905c7040823?fbclid=IwAR1TsU9XlkqHwF0qtPSIk97zu1vTiAt1MUmSybkS6dYVfgv-8Axtb89cGqw

What the Pledge of Allegiance is not

 https://www-ledevoir-com.translate.goog/opinion/libre-opinion/765305/libre-opinion-ce-que-n-est-pas-le-serment-d-allegeance?fbclid=IwAR3UjtBxs3-IJgkP8-KZFg1TXQ4LMqLT_gzDh7WenkSjcBSgcncLqI2uyEA&_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-US

 

Why Québec politicians must swear an oath to the King — even if they don’t want to

The leader of the Parti Québécois, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, sparked controversy by stating that he will not swear an oath of allegiance to King Charles, as required by the Constitution Act, 1867, before taking his seat in the Québec National Assembly. The two other elected members of his party took the same position.
Québec Solidaire followed, with the 11 elected members of their party also refusing to swear an oath to the King.
In the wake of this controversy, a number of constitutional experts made comments suggesting that it was possible to refuse taking the oath. They proposed various interpretations and solutions that would, in their view, enable the PQ leader to sit as a Member of the National Assembly (MNA) without swearing allegiance to the King. As a constitutional scholar, I do not share this view.
https://theconversation.com/why-quebec-politicians-must-swear-an-oath-to-the-king-even-if-they-dont-want-to-192807?fbclid=IwAR0ERgVbaiWiFSxOO2vZxBmSSb_aF5B8fqCEvHOm6vqj7w7ViREWKWlGBr4

Opinion: How to ensure immigrant workers stay in Quebec

 

Despite the critical need for immigrant workers, Quebec lags behind Ontario, B.C. and Alberta in the retention of immigrants. There may be many reasons, but newcomers themselves cite the general lack of recognition of their credentials and skills, and barriers they face learning French or accessing French-language training.

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/opinion-how-to-ensure-immigrant-workers-stay-in-quebec/ar-AAYxYws?ocid=EMMX&cvid=bcbea8db4550417eb5c8d337b13e0435&fbclid=IwAR00VtYzgkGuWKeaqRiKlatHXLh9tNNn694rRYCvi1feVQUAS3gkxEn09DE

 

Legault says he's against multiculturalism because 'it's important to have culture where we integrate'

Ahead of Fête nationale celebrations this week, Premier François Legault said he’s against the idea of multiculturalism, saying it is a threat to the French language and Quebec culture.

“It’s important that we don’t put all cultures on the same level; that’s why we oppose multiculturalism,” Legault told reporters Thursday. “We prefer to concentrate on what we call interculturalism, where we have one culture, the Quebec culture, and we try to integrate newcomers. I think new people coming to Quebec add to our culture, but it’s important to have culture where we integrate, especially to our language.”

Legault, who has been asking Ottawa for new powers over the selection of certain immigrants , said his vision of integration is different from that of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. In his vision, Quebec culture is elevated over the cultures of immigrants and other minorities.

Legault says he's against multiculturalism because 'it's important to have culture where we integrate' (msn.com)

Dany Laferrière et le Québec

Dany Laferrière nous présente en France comme une terre de consanguins !

https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2021/03/26/dany-laferriere-et-le-quebec?fbclid=IwAR3VjI1Hej_TKaZ_7e36OTYFNkj3VV0CV_Cw72LS_jGUk4DoA8_YZsr66K4

 

Canadians are entitled to legal help to protect their Charter rights

The Court Challenges Program was at the heart of the latest scuffle between Ottawa and Québec. The program provides financial support to Canadians seeking to assert their constitutional language and human rights before the courts.
Upon learning that the program provided federal funding to the English Montreal School Board to challenge the province’s religious symbols ban, Premier Francois Legault accused Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of “insulting” Québecers.
Based on my work on public interest litigation, I believe Legault’s concerns are unfounded. Rather, the funding provided by the Court Challenges Program breathes life into rights guaranteed by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

https://theconversation.com/canadians-are-entitled-to-legal-help-to-protect-their-charter-rights-132330?fbclid=IwAR3OSGhjfqA1FStyS8cTaRump9hxnrgIR9WYofPccwhl9mBLMZ8yVmW7lmQ

How Québec’s Bill 21 could be vanquished by a rarely used Charter provision

 This November, the Québec Court of Appeal will hear an appeal of Hak v. Attorney General of Québec on the constitutionality of Bill 21, which prohibits public service workers from wearing religious symbols.

The trial decision upheld the law in most respects, except for its impact on the management of the province’s minority-language school boards.

Despite the harsh effects of the law — primarily on Muslim women like Grade 3 teacher Fatemeh Anvari, who was removed from a Québec classroom for wearing a hijab — you might think the appeal is bound to fail.

That’s because the Québec National Assembly attempted to shield Bill 21 from Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms by invoking Sec. 33 of the Charter, known as the “notwithstanding clause.”

Sec. 33 allows laws to operate “notwithstanding” certain rights and freedoms contained in the Charter, like the general equality right of Sec. 15 and the freedom of religion right of Sec. 2

How Québec’s Bill 21 could be vanquished by a rarely used Charter provision | National Newswatch

Montreal's Fête nationale show open to everyone, but en français s'il vous plaît

 “The only other language that we accept on the show is the Indigenous languages, because they were there prior to us,” said Pierre Séguin, co-artistic director and stage director of the Fête nationale blowout taking place Thursday night at Place des Festivals. Montreal's Fête nationale show open to everyone, but en français s'il vous plaît (msn.com)

Raymond J. de Souza: In Legault's Quebec, there's no room for religious expression, or diversity of thought

 The distinct society only has room for a limited sort of distinctiveness

https://nationalpost.com/opinion/raymond-j-de-souza-in-legaults-quebec-theres-no-room-for-religious-expression-or-diversity-of-thought?fbclid=IwAR34Rzth2_qkueEpw9PmUeBikzGs2Re8yNOQ3IR-cLVRmKuy2uZf2fQLctQ

Wajsman: The hits just keep on coming

 This is fascist talk. And we use that word advisedly. Every society that has actively and aggressively enforced collective rights over individual rights has resulted in authoritarian governance and moral and physical destruction of individuals and minorities. Every society that has maintained the predominance of individual rights over the tyranny of the majority, has maintained a healthy democracy whose foundational underpinning is the rule of law. This was the organizing pri…

The hits just keep on coming | Editorials | thesuburban.com

Johnson: Canadian Multiculturalism Falsified

http://vision.williamjohnson-quebec.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Canadian-Multiculturalism-Falsified-August-10-2019-2.pdf?fbclid=IwAR3AC_CdBuY1CjOY1GRtzkjVQuebULWzEXqd0kIf2vcTWD8ZF6UA9K13h74

The Gazette’s Philip Authier got it wrong. In the edition of August 9, 2019, he wrote: “While multiculturalism is used to refer to a society where people of different cultural backgrounds live side by side without much integration...”

False. Multiculturalism, as vested in Canada’s constitution in 1982, does not isolate cultural minorities. On the contrary, it celebrates their contribution to Canada’s diverse culture. Pierre Trudeau proclaimed it as a national policy in 1971 and explained:

Canada's citizens come from almost every country in the world and bring with them every major world religion and language. This cultural diversity endows all Canadians with a great variety of human experience. The Government regards this as a heritage to treasure and believes that Canada would be poorer if we adopted assimilation programs forcing our citizens to forsake and forget the cultures they have brought to us.

Multiculturalism, as he defined it, was not to be an isolated policy. It was to be “a policy of multiculturalism within a bilingual framework.” 

    He qualified: Although there are two official languages, there is no official culture, nor does any ethnic     group take precedence over any other. No citizen or group of citizens is other than Canadian and all        should be treated fairly.” 

Robert Libman: New parties merit respect; so do those who vote for them

 Very little is as demeaning as having a finger wagged in your face and being admonished about how to behave. That’s the feeling I get when reading or hearing former Liberal MNAs warning the anglophone community against supporting any new political alternative to the Liberal Party of Dominique Anglade in the fall election.

To me it shows a disconnect with what many in the community are feeling right now. It also seems like the same kind of condescension that has contributed to the community’s sentiment over the years that the Liberals take them for granted. Successive Liberal administrations of Jean Charest and Philippe Couillard could count on having the anglo vote locked up, because the only alternative was a separatist option.

With the introduction of Bill 96 by the CAQ government, the sense of political alienation in minority communities intensified. The Liberals were evasive at first on where they stood, promising to get changes to the bill in committee. Their likely intention was to support it and then tell minority communities they succeeded in making the bill more palatable. Many weren’t buying it, and talk started swirling around the need for other political options.

Robert Libman: New parties merit respect; so do those who vote for them (msn.com)

Muslim, civil liberties groups to appeal Quebec court ruling on religious symbols law

 MONTREAL _ Two groups that unsuccessfully challenged Quebec’s secularism law in court said Thursday they will appeal last month’s ruling.
The National Council of Canadian Muslims and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association said in a statement Thursday the law known as Bill 21 makes Quebecers who wear symbols such as hijabs, turbans and kippas second-class citizens.
“We promised that we would not stop fighting until second-class citizenship ends for all Quebecers,” said Yusuf Faqiri, the council’s director of Quebec affairs.
https://montreal.citynews.ca/2021/05/06/muslim-civil-liberties-groups-to-appeal-quebec-court-ruling-on-religious-symbols-law/?fbclid=IwAR1HI5l32GT8Dh-O42O50NvkN8NY3cM9tF6H1dUO-gQP_dOhsX6uKqHdxhQ

La nation québécoise face à ses responsabilités

 La nation québécoise doit garder le cap – être un phare démocratique et inclusif dans un monde où xénophobie, populisme et corruption dénaturent le débat public et menacent la paix sociale. Elle doit montrer qu’elle sait utiliser ses pouvoirs, son autonomie, pour résister à ces dérives. Pour être une nation dont on puisse continuer d’être fiers.

La nation québécoise face à ses responsabilités | La Presse

Nicolas: Opponents of CAQ's view of nationalism need to form a coalition

 Nicolas: Opponents of CAQ's view of nationalism need to form a coalition (msn.com)

Opinion: What role will the courts play in Quebec's French-language law?

 For example, the courts will have to clarify their role vis-à-vis a legislature that views them as an irritant, at best, and cares little about fundamental rights.

Opinion: Courts may decide the constitutionality of Quebec's French-language law | CTV News

If you don’t mean it, why write it?

 The CAQ government’s ad taken out in newspapers in Canada and the United States last week sought to clarify what it called “falsehoods” being circulated about Bill 96. But rather than address the issues directly, the message really was, “Don’t worry about what the Bill says, we’re not going to use its powers. Trust us.” Well, if you didn’t mean to use it M.Legault, why write it and pass it? And who is going to trust anything you have to say on minority rights after everything you’ve done?

If you don’t mean it, why write it? | Editorials | thesuburban.com

Here’s how opponents will use the courts to try to thwart Quebec’s Bill 96

 Opponents are expected to file several legal challenges against  Bill 96, the controversial, wide-ranging legislation passed in May [2022] that could touch many aspects of daily life, from medical care to how businesses operate to the workings of the court system.

The law further restricts the use of English in Quebec in a bid to boost the French language, with Premier François Legault arguing French is in decline in Quebec , both in workplaces and in homes.

An English Montreal School Board (EMSB) lawsuit filed last week is the first attempt to quash parts of the law.

The Montreal Gazette spoke to legal experts and people working on possible legal action.

Here’s how opponents will use the courts to try to thwart Quebec’s Bill 96 (msn.com)

Robert Libman: Legault on course toward 'sovereignty-association'

 Robert Libman: Legault on course toward 'sovereignty-association' (msn.com)

Quebec government designates Louis-Joseph Papineau and a historical figure to mark Patriots' Day

 https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/quebec-government-designates-louis-joseph-papineau-and-a-historical-figure-to-mark-patriots-day-1.5440693?fbclid=IwAR2V3yxo3qbTQcMTUf_pTxqGT1W3V39byL-uAf4_fOmoNQusIexL0e71Ieg

QUEBEC CITY -- Prominent 19th-century French Canadian politician Louis-Joseph Papineau has been designated as a historical figure by Quebec Minister of Culture and Communications Nathalie Roy.

To mark Quebec's National Patriots' Day, minister Roy also announced a notice of intent to designate the Patriots' monument in the Notre-Dame-des-Neiges cemetery in Montreal.

With this designation and notice of classification, the Quebec Government wants to perpetuate the memory and legacy of individuals who played a significant role in Quebec's history and who helped forge the identity of its citizens.

How the CAQ is rebranding Quebec nationalism

 

The party's laws on secularism and language are at the heart of a push to redefine the nation's identity

How the CAQ is rebranding Quebec nationalism | CBC News

Nicolas: I’m tired of people looking at the U.S. and forgetting about gun violence right here at home

 Nicolas: I’m tired of people looking at the U.S. and forgetting about gun violence right here at home (msn.com)

Legal experts fact-check Quebec ad campaign that aims to correct 'falsehoods' on controversial language law

 

Lawyers say government ad published this week contains falsehoods of its own

Legal experts fact-check Quebec ad campaign that aims to correct 'falsehoods' on controversial language law | CBC News

Legal experts are slamming a full-page ad from the CAQ government running in both French and English newspapers this week that purports to correct "falsehoods" circulating about the new law to protect the French language, commonly know as Bill 96.

"The ad campaign is misleading," constitutional lawyer Julius Grey told CBC in an interview.

Frédéric Bérard, co-director of the National Observatory on Language Rights, part of the Public Law Research Centre at Université de Montréal, was less diplomatic.

"It's bullshit over bullshit. That's what it is. I mean, it's lying to people with public money," Bérard told CBC.

Martin Patriquin: Another side to the Tamara Thermitus story

It now seems reasonable to believe she was removed from the human rights commission not for being a bad boss, but for being too effective.

https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/martin-patriquin-another-side-to-the-tamara-thermitus-story?fbclid=IwAR37iaetT_1eKrmDnacN85rMDUToLEAO14fweoXpc78GOohHaq6UoK42HuQ
 
In the annals of Quebec politics, the name Tamara Thermitus came and went quickly, bookmarked by hope and shame. In February 2017, Thermitus became the first racialized person (and only the second woman) to preside over Quebec’s human rights commission. On paper, the Haiti-born Thermitus was a perfect candidate for the job. A member of the Quebec bar for three decades, she devoted her career in the federal civil service to the fight against systemic discrimination. She played a key role in defining the mandate for the country’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which helped uncover and document the myriad wrongs the federal government committed against the Indigenous populations.

She lasted little more than a year. In the fall of 2018, Quebec ombudsman Marie Rinfret wrote a report criticizing Thermitus for “lack of ethical norms,” “bad management” and “abuse of authority.” Thermitus resigned last November before the National Assembly could remove her from the position. Politicians from the CAQ and the Parti Québécois, particularly former PQ justice critic Véronique Hivon, had clamoured for her resignation. The reigning narrative in the wake of her departure was simple and devastating: that Thermitus was a morally questionable boss who stoked frustration and fear among her underlings ...

Is Quebec Premier François Legault the political heir of René Lévesque or Maurice Duplessis?

 Opinion: Is Quebec Premier François Legault the political heir of René Lévesque or Maurice Duplessis? - The Globe and Mail

This year marks the centenary of the birth of René Lévesque – the man who built the modern Hydro-Québec as a Liberal minister, founded the Parti Québécois and was premier of Quebec from 1976 until 1985.

Under his leadership, Quebec banned corporate contributions to political parties; introduced agricultural zoning and government automobile insurance; and, despite his initial reluctance, passed the Charter of the French Language – known in English as Bill 101. There will be a series of conferences, beginning on June 13, commemorating Lévesque’s legacy.

Legault is expected to participate, and he will be able to point to a number of things he has in common with Lévesque. Both men grew up in predominantly English-speaking communities – Lévesque in New Carlisle, and Legault in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue. Both created new parties, bringing together different streams of Quebec nationalists. Both have presided over the introduction of legislation intended to protect the French language, which disrupted and unnerved the English communities of Quebec.

Canadians consider certain religions damaging to society

 Many Canadians now believe Catholicism, evangelical Christianity and Islam are more damaging to society than beneficial, a new survey shows, as people across the country continue to turn their backs on religion.

https://globalnews.ca/news/8759564/canada-religion-society-perceptions/

'Sometimes' OK to play songs containing F-word on French radio: broadcast council

 MONTREAL — It's acceptable in most cases for French radio stations to play English songs containing the F-word during the daytime, the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council said Wednesday.

In a written decision, the organization said that when the overall programming is in French, only songs where the word is used frequently or to insult someone breach its code of ethics.

'Sometimes' OK to play songs containing F-word on French radio: broadcast council (msn.com)

A sneak attack on language rights

 Tom Mulcair: Bill 96 deserves much more than nodding approval of leaders in Ottawa. Failure to defend rights comes at a cost to our unity and well-being as a country.

https://www.macleans.ca/opinion/a-sneak-attack-on-language-rights/?fbclid=IwAR1oBQhFj93Qu-haidoKeGxcJ0PKbhHSsEwWfy-2QEfyZKMaz2U5NB_yQCs

Faut-il sauver le Parti Québécois?

  Le PQ aura lâché la proie de l’indépendance pour l’ombre d’une pseudo-laïcité.

https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2022/06/01/faut-il-sauver-le-parti-quebecois?fbclid=IwAR0_7La3oy0XgFcXOoibceKn7nd1c9I2hgnK5a23mzrS1XE8oktjLVo0czs

With François Legault in charge, democracy is getting schooled in Quebec

The Quebec government of François Legault pulled one of the more audacious parliamentary stunts in recent Canadian history last week, when it abolished all the school boards in the province with a stroke of the pen.

Premier Legault’s Coalition Avenir Québec used its majority to invoke closure on Bill 40, a law that replaces traditional school boards with what are being called “service centres." It was a move hotly contested by teachers, parents and educational experts, not to mention the school boards themselves.

Invoking closure to limit debate on contentious legislation was bad enough, but the CAQ was just getting started. The party also tabled 160 last-minute amendments after there was no time left to debate, and then passed them into law, making it impossible to understand what the legislation’s full impact will be.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/editorials/article-with-francois-legault-in-charge-democracy-is-getting-schooled-in/?fbclid=IwAR1FEavDjCQtofCeyCMvEnWJgVZsDC3Q_1-JtIxilweQV8uhpA6HYla3bIw

Opinion: Responses on Bill 96 and health care don't allay concerns

 Notwithstanding the government’s claims, the CMQ is correct in its analysis that “the text of the law as formulated maintains grey areas and gives reason to be concerned as to the future ability of patients to use their chosen language with the person providing their care.

Opinion: Responses on Bill 96 and health care don't allay concerns (msn.com)

Allison Hanes: In a climate emergency, Quebec's leaders should debate on the environment

Allison Hanes: In a climate emergency, Quebec's leaders should debate on the environment (msn.com)

Anglophone groups want court to decide the fate of school-board reform

A coalition representing English-speaking parents, educators and community groups argues Bill 40 violates anglophones’ constitutional right to control and manage their own schools.

https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/anglophone-groups-want-court-to-decide-the-fate-of-school-board-reform?fbclid=IwAR2AsoZxPawy9tIVxIhUbEBzkoFFd07afO5sQxdHv6awmdxw-Mntu7I9IGw

Anglophone opponents of Bill 40 say they are ready for a “costly and prolonged court battle” against the Quebec government’s plan to abolish school boards that oversee elementary and high schools.

A coalition representing English-speaking parents, educators and community groups indicated on Monday they are ready to ask the courts to overturn Bill 40 if it becomes law, arguing it violates anglophones’ constitutional right to control and manage their own schools.

First, though, they proposed a way Education Minister Jean-François Roberge could avoid a court fight. They called on him to ask the Quebec Court of Appeal to examine the constitutional question and “provide guidance and clarity” before the bill is implemented.

Quebec passes controversial bill to protect academic freedom

 QUEBEC CITY - 

Elected officials in Quebec have passed Bill 32 on Friday to better protect academic freedom in the university environment.

The eight Québec solidaire (QS) MNAs who were present showed their opposition by abstaining from voting.

Bill 32 gives the minister of higher education the right to make "necessary corrections" in educational institutions deemed non-compliant. 

Quebec passes bill to protect academic freedom | CTV News

'Problematic' and a 'dog's breakfast': Quebec face-covering ban panned by authors of landmark report

 

Bouchard and Taylor's 2008 report aimed to reconcile Quebec's identity and minority rights

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/quebec-bill-62-bouchard-taylor-1.4362278?fbclid=IwAR1pgJuaLlLlwf93TARbQgAHjfeDfiB1IHmtYXDQJUFnwdvFofFuX7V4ikU

A new Quebec law purported to deal with secularism and the accommodation of minorities is being called a "dog's breakfast" of contradictions by one of the authors of a landmark study of the issue.

The other author of the study says it would be "problematic" in its application.

In their 2008 report, sociologist Gérard Bouchard and philosopher Charles Taylor offered solutions aimed at assuaging concerns about the erosion of Quebec identity while respecting the rights of minorities.

Opinion: Anglo protest parties are not the way forward in Quebec

Opinion: Anglo protest parties are not the way forward in Quebec (msn.com)

The Anglican Church should follow Jesus’ teachings and welcome equal marriage

Michael Coren is the author of The Future of Catholicism, and Epiphany: A Christian’s Change of Heart and Mind Over Same-Sex Marriage.

Three years ago I wrote with joy and pride that the Anglican Church of Canada had voted at its Synod (the church’s governing body) to approve equal marriage, to give formal and sacramental acknowledgment of the church to LGBTQ people who wanted to embrace holy and lifelong commitments. In other words, gay men and women could be married in Anglican churches.

The vote was extremely close, and a two-thirds majority is required in the three orders of laity, clergy and bishops. Still, it succeeded. A second approval was required, however, and in Vancouver on Friday that didn’t happen. While the clergy and laity overwhelmingly approved, the order of bishops gave only 62.2 per cent support, just one or two votes shy of what was required.

People reacted with shock, because even though the church did pronounce that each diocese could move ahead as it sees fit – several have already married same-sex couples and will continue to do so – this was a body blow, especially to those gay Christians who have remained faithful worshippers in spite of rejection.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-the-anglican-church-should-follow-jesus-teachings-and-welcome-equal/?fbclid=IwAR0804XhG3OR0oR5tR3W3OMGEOxCgXos6dWiJQlIuVWNUsv7okak3AdSyoo

Robert Libman: CAQ focus should have been on policy, not pride

 

Last weekend, more than 1,200 delegates gathered for the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) convention , the party’s last such opportunity to discuss policy and prepare its platform ahead of the provincial election in October. The convention began on the heels of a Léger poll suggesting the CAQ is cruising toward a massive victory.

 

With morale soaring, and a near-certainty that the CAQ will form the next government, one would have expected delegates to act responsibly and seize the opportunity to address the concerns of Quebecers, in order to shape policy orientations going forward. These large events are important for the party rank and file and meant to give rise to substantive debate and discussion. However, despite the many difficulties Quebecers are grappling with, some magnified by the pandemic, little of that seemed to matter last weekend. Issues related to health care, seniors, the soaring cost of living, housing, crumbling infrastructure and, climate change were all virtually ignored. The spotlight was on the official theme of the convention: pride.

 

Premier François Legault seemed focused almost exclusively on pushing nationalist buttons to rally the troops.

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/robert-libman-caq-focus-should-have-been-on-policy-not-pride/ar-AAY2VFg?ocid=EMMX&cvid=5eace747a0eb4c5dbbea19ed8151217b&fbclid=IwAR0Q9OJwKgXWrFE_5bu8B3dQDxMnbtKrjmIsNaCqITOZXvCnbMx0jbrms64

Think recognizing the ‘Quebec nation’ is harmless? In fact, the implications for unity are profound

 https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-think-recognizing-the-quebec-nation-is-harmless-but-nations-cannot/?fbclid=IwAR1NOjHaAOWnawVStUu232zGHUrxyy4rW-TUcj5v9OkgeEekkMvBMWepyE8

What does Quebec want? That has been the question on earnest Canadians’ minds for the better part of four decades. After Wednesday’s session of the provincial legislature, we need speculate no further: What Quebec wants is a flag emoji.

A Parti Québécois motion demanding the internet (specifically, the Silicon Valley-based Unicode Consortium, which decides such things) devise an emoji for the Quebec flag passed by the usual unanimous vote. Party leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon said the move would give Quebeckers the “right to express our pride” in tweets and Facebook posts.

Add this, then, to the list of Quebec’s historic demands. Perhaps you thought, having just drafted legislation declaring themselves a nation, the province’s political class would have been sated, pride-wise, maybe even take a break for a bit. But the work of preparing Quebec’s rendezvous with destiny never ceases. Each peak scaled only becomes the base camp for further ascents.

Legault rebuffs PQ’s sovereignty push

Legault rebuffs PQ’s sovereignty push (msn.com)

Macpherson: In Quebec, the language issues keep getting smaller

The latest Quebec language issue: Signs on Subway sandwich shops are apparently illegal because they don't say the shops sell sandwiches.

https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/macpherson-in-quebec-the-language-issues-keep-getting-smaller?fbclid=IwAR3C3lCC2RZjbVDuZWnKWbXVXN44JBAyLN2o8QqlI51bXcEDyx3jUI_Vvus

This week, after devoting nearly 700 words to the implications of “Megxit,” La Presse’s chief editorial writer regretted that so much attention was being paid to Harry and Meghan, “especially when issues of great importance monopolize the headlines.”

Issues of great importance such as, perhaps, signs on Subway sandwich shops in Quebec that are apparently illegal because they don’t say the shops sell sandwiches, the subject of the Montreal digital newspaper’s lead news item that day.

A La Presse investigation consisting of visits to a few shopping malls had found that — aha! — some store chains are apparently violating a three-year-old Quebec regulation on the language of commercial signs.

Use of French at home is only one indicator of language health: Quebec demographers

 Language and immigration politics were back at the forefront in Quebec’s national assembly last week, as Premier François Legault drew criticism for sounding the alarm over a decline in the number of people who speak French at home.
Legault declared on Wednesday that "nobody could deny" French is in decline, saying fewer Quebecers were speaking the language at home as well as at work.
His comments — which came after a weekend speech in which he said the survival of the Quebec nation depended on the province gaining greater control over immigration — sparked fiery rebukes from opposition politicians, who accused him of scapegoating immigrants who might speak their first languages at home even if they've learned French.

Use of French at home, the latest polarizing language debate in Quebec | CTV News

How Quebec’s amendment could sever ties with Canada

 'Some sections of Bill 96 could infringe on Section 133 of the Constitution, which entrenches English and French in the provincial courts and legislatures.'

https://ipolitics.ca/2021/06/02/how-quebecs-amendment-could-sever-ties-with-canada/?fbclid=IwAR1cV06DeUunU3B3pumFJ0KfVkg7C0NMZzMvQmPFDmh9z6x69q3AhBSCfHk

Tom Mulcair: Trudeau is sleepwalking us all towards making Quebec a de facto separate state

 Tom Mulcair: A return to Quebec's dark ages | CTV News

QCGN Supports Commissioner’s Call for Symmetry in the Official Languages Act

 https://qcgn.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/OCOL-Annual-Report.-2021.06.01.pdf?fbclid=IwAR34L7MZwjKB6UJVhVGI69gzfAYjGpbz_WJ6v3IA96hbF67QDgvVRmYDSU8

MONTREAL, June 1, 2021 – Canada’s Commissioner of Official Languages Raymond Théberge is advising the federal government to maintain the equal status of French and English in its coming changes to the Official Languages Act. The Quebec Community Groups Network enthusiastically endorses this advice. In his annual report tabled in the House of Commons today, Commissioner Théberge said he is “pleased to see that the Government of Canada’s proposed overhaul is based on the principle of substantive equality, because beyond guaranteeing the equal status of English and French, the new Act must provide the means to actually achieve this equality.” “The Commissioner of Official Languages has taken a principled stand in defence of the equality of Canada’s two official languages,” comments QCGN President Marlene Jennings: “We concur with his recommendation that the government focus on substantive equality rather than legislative asymmetry, in order to foster the development and vitality of both of Canada’s official language minority communities.” Substantive equ

Quebec's use of notwithstanding clause in language law opens constitutional debate

When federal Justice Minister David Lametti reacted last week to the adoption of Quebec's language law reform, he took aim at the provincial government's proactive use of the notwithstanding clause to shield the law from constitutional challenges.
Lametti and other critics of Bill 96 say the government's use of that clause — Section 33 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms — shuts down debate and prevents a proper judicial review of the legislation. The proactive use of Section 33, which permits a government to override certain provisions of the Constitution, is an "unintended negative consequence in our political system," he said.
The Quebec government, meanwhile, says its use of the clause is legitimate and necessary to protect laws that are supported by the majority of Quebecers. The government calls Section 33 "the parliamentary sovereignty provision."
Quebec's use of notwithstanding clause in language law opens constitutional debate | CTV News

Francophones and anglophones have different views on official languages, poll shows

 Francophones across Canada are near unanimous in support of the Official Languages Act.

Francophones and anglophones have different views on official languages, poll shows | Ottawa Citizen

An opinion poll for Canada’s Commissioner of Official Languages shows Canadians are strongly in favour of the objectives of the Official Languages Act, but support is strongest in Quebec.

In the rest of Canada, francophones are much more likely than anglophones (98 per cent versus 78 per cent) to believe it’s important that the prime minister, Supreme Court judges and federal ministers be bilingual.

Geographically, 95 per cent of Quebecers support the act, compared to 87 per cent in Ontario, 86 per cent in Atlantic Canada and 78 per cent in Manitoba and Saskatchewan.