Tom Mulcair: Intolerant policies now haunting Legault

 SAINT-SAUVEUR, QUEBEC -- During the last provincial election campaign, Francois Legault was fond of repeating that Quebec would take in fewer immigrants but take better care of them. It was dog-whistle politics, aimed at his base. 

His immigration minister, Simon Jolin-Barrette, was more transparent. Shortly after the election, he proclaimed that he would throw thousands of valid immigration applications into the garbage. 

What was supposed to be an easy populist ploy has recently turned against Legault as employers in all regions of Quebec complain bitterly about a labour shortage that is crippling many businesses, just as the economy ramps back up. 

Tom Mulcair: Intolerant policies now haunting Legault | CTV News

Legal challenge against Bill 96 coming, Montreal lawyer says

 

"There's absolutely no rationality behind this law. The whole explanation given that French is in danger is false," Grey added.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/legal-challenge-against-bill-96-coming-montreal-lawyer-says/ar-AAXDjvQ?ocid=EMMX&cvid=81a34868018a4289990dad2106439839&fbclid=IwAR2aNO6JWeCon-hlqWw07hlMOGYyKWYVemTWjIhAqmi5h2dptNXo32AAn4g

Chris Selley: Latest trial balloon from Quebec is another attack on minority rights

At this point, allowing Quebec to proceed on its current course is a bigger threat to the Canadian federation than the prospect of it leaving ever was

https://nationalpost.com/opinion/chris-selley-latest-trial-balloon-from-quebec-is-another-attack-on-minority-rights?fbclid=IwAR0R-q2_CGnvh17aaFZRjZscuZBojoU9peHvA5MHh-izMI7LYXq0XAQqhfs

One of the fascinating things about Quebec politics is that it’s often impossible to predict which absurdities will become controversial and which will be accepted as reasonable. The province’s linguistic and more recently cultural debates operate in an atmosphere so divorced from normal reality that it’s impossible to know how any new idea or event might react to its unique and volatile mixture of gases.

The classic example is Pastagate: An inspector from the Office québécois de la langue française found an Italian restaurant’s menu was riddled with Italian — calamari, antipasti — and issued the appropriate cease-and-desist notice. At no point did anyone suggest he had misinterpreted the law. Despite universal scorn and worldwide mockery, at no point did anyone successfully explain why this inspector’s actions were obviously ultra vires, while the OQLF’s other insane diktats — say, forcing a bilingual community newspaper to segregate English-language and French-language content such that English-only advertising will never appear on the same page as a French-language article — were reasonable.

As a result, Quebec politics is like a festival of trial balloons. Most recently we saw languages minister Simon Jolin-Barrette float the idea of banning merchants from greeting customers with “bonjour-hi” — a Downtown Montreal-ism that turns language hawks crimson with rage — only to have Premier François Legault shoot it down a couple of days later amidst widespread ridicule.

Robert Libman: Stereotyping just widens language divides

Robert Libman: Stereotyping just widens language divides (msn.com) 

Instead of listening to and trying to understand those whose opinions might differ from their own, many people take the easy way out. They attach a label or stereotype to those with whom they disagree, to diminish their credibility and brush off their opinion, instead of engaging with the arguments. This has been the case all too often when it comes to debates around language in Quebec.

Colby Cosh: Quebec teacher fights tyranny by refusing to take off article of clothing

 God help us if our country runs out of people who are willing to say 'I could take or leave this piece of attire, but since you want me to remove it, you'll have to cut it off my corpse.'

Colby Cosh: Quebec teacher fights tyranny by refusing to take off article of clothing | National Post

Editorial: There are many reasons to oppose Bill 96

 Among the most problematic elements of the law is how it redefines anglos . The rules governing eligibility for English schooling are, essentially, to be applied more broadly with respect to the right to receive other government services in English, which, according to the Quebec Community Groups Network, will leave out 300,000 to 500,000 English-speaking Quebecers. New arrivals are to receive a six-month grace period, but that’s it.

And then there is the practical problem of whom it’s ok to serve in English. Application of this law will be unwieldy and chaotic. Another example of that can be found in the way in which the provisions affecting CEGEPs will create administrative nightmares for the colleges, along with reduced opportunities for many.

In the health and social services sector, there inevitably will be a negative impact on the availability of care in English, particularly, but not only, for those who are not rights-holding “historic anglos.” Measures to discourage making bilingualism a hiring qualification will have a predictable practical result, even where theoretical rights may exist. Given that effective communication is a prerequisite for effective care, it is essential that the government explicitly exempt this sector from the bill .

Editorial: There are many reasons to oppose Bill 96 (msn.com)

Hanes: Is no one ever accountable in Quebec?

 Not seeking another mandate is what passes for accountability in Quebec in the face of serious systemic failures.

Well before coroner Géhane Kamel tabled the results of her probe Monday into the deaths of 47 patients at the private Herron nursing home during the first wave of COVID-19, it became clear she would deliver a scathing indictment of the government’s pandemic response. She left no stone unturned — sparring with witnesses, recalling others to explain inconsistencies, subpoenaing documents — in trying to establish who knew what when in the upper echelons of power as frail elderly residents were left unfed, dehydrated, unwashed and in soiled diapers both before and after public officials became aware of the appalling conditions.

Hanes: Is no one ever accountable in Quebec? (msn.com)

Tom Mulcair: Legault reverting to age-old sport of Anglo-bashing

 Stirring resentment against others isn’t exactly new in politics. Today we’re likely to call it “populism.” It leads to things like Trump's Muslim ban. It can also incite people who espouse racist "replacement" theories to carry out violent acts.

This is some of the most vile politics there is.

Historically, people of character have stood up to populist bullies. It takes political courage and a deep understanding of the importance of defending constitutionally guaranteed rights. The "populists" may indeed be more popular but letting them win could destroy the fabric of a nation.

Tom Mulcair: Legault has weaponized language | CTV News

World governing body officially allows turbans in soccer following Quebec controversy

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/soccer/world-governing-body-officially-allows-turbans-in-soccer-following-quebec-controversy/article17185651/

Soccer’s international rule-making body has officially decided to allow players to wear religious headcovering during games. 

The International Football Association Board, which sets the rules for FIFA, made the decision today — extending a two-year trial period during which hijabs and turbans were allowed on the field.

Quebec businesses wary of higher costs, OQLF overreach with Bill 96

 Quebec employers are bracing for higher costs and the prospect of government overreach in the wake of Bill 96 ’s imminent adoption.

While many business owners and managers agree with the need to strengthen the use of French in the workplace, concerns are mounting over added workloads, shorter deadlines and the possibility of frivolous complaints that might arise from the new law. Paperwork could also become an issue — as Bill 96 will require company documents, such as employment contracts and training materials, to be made available in French.

Bill 96 “is a preoccupation for several of our members,” Denis Hamel, vice-president of workforce development policies at the Conseil du patronat du Québec, the province’s biggest business lobby group, said in an interview. “We’re all committed to working in French in Quebec, and we all agree that the law had to be updated. However, some elements of the law are concerning.”

Quebec businesses wary of higher costs, OQLF overreach with Bill 96 (msn.com)

Robert Libman: At last, anglos are standing up and speaking out

 Exactly 10 years ago, student protests demanding a freeze on university tuition took over Montreal streets in a movement that came to be known as the Maple Spring. Despite Quebec already having among the lowest tuition rates in the country, the protests gave voice and prominence to a cause. Whether or not one agreed with their protests, one could appreciate how the students mobilized and the impact they made.

Quebec’s Bill 96 has certainly generated as much serious concern, among as many people, as did the issues that gave rise to the Maple Spring movement. But minority communities in Quebec have always been reluctant to demonstrate.

As final adoption of the language-law overhaul approaches and its potential consequences become clearer, concern has been growing. The anglophone community finally seems willing to exit its comfort zone and take to the streets . A march from Dawson College to Premier François Legault’s office downtown is organized for Saturday morning. Last week, students at English CEGEPs around Quebec left class in a co-ordinated protest action to denounce the bill. The leaders of First Nations communities went to the National Assembly this week demanding to be exempt from Bill 96, saying it amounts to cultural genocide.

Robert Libman: At last, anglos are standing up and speaking out (msn.com)

William Johnson: Numbers don't support notion that French is threatened in Quebec

http://montrealgazette.com/news/quebec/opinion-numbers-dont-support-notion-that-french-is-threatened-in-quebec

... The standard indicator of a threatened language is that the younger generations abandon it. There’s no sign of that in Quebec. The 2011 census of Canada revealed that, across Canada, between 2006 and 2011, the number of people of French mother tongue rose by 327,775. The number of people who reported speaking mostly French at home rose by even more: 428,530. In Canada outside Quebec, the number speaking French at home increased by 91,640. 

But most significant are the figures for Quebec. The number of French mother tongue rose by 273,735. The number speaking French at home (around the family table!) actually rose even more, by 336,890. French is assimilating others, not being assimilated. 

Henripin was scheduled to testify before Justice Mascia last May, but he died seven months before. And so the myth persists that Anglos are a constant existential threat to the Québécois. The siege mentality that opposes les Québécois to their fellow citizens in Quebec and to francophones in the rest of Canada triumphs once again. Will it ever end?

Quebec's historical traditional demands requests

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/senate-expenses-spur-outrage-but-reform-abolition-not-easily-done-1.3031249

The Quebec government has said that any talks about the Senate would have to be broadened to deal with that province's "historical requests," such as recognition of its distinctiveness and demands for more powers — the same divisive issues on which the last two constitutional ventures, the Meech Lake and Charlottetown accords, foundered. First Nations leaders would likely insist that aboriginal issues be part of the mix as well.

- approval over appointment of Quebec judges to the Supreme Court of Canada

- opting out of shared-cost programs within provincial jurisdiction, with full compensation for compatible programs
- recognition of a 'distinct society' in the Constitution of Canada
- more powers (e.g., communications)
- and a veto over constitutional amendments

Tom Mulcair: Why a St-Hilaire candidacy for the CAQ would be big news

 Prior to the 2018 campaign, Legault laid out his game plan: go after more autonomy on language, culture and immigration. A step by step approach to … what exactly?

Tom Mulcair: Why a St-Hilaire candidacy for the CAQ would be big news (msn.com)

London attack was latest of Canada’s ‘most deadly’ form of extremism, national security adviser says

 https://globalnews.ca/news/7931790/london-attack-canadas-most-deadly-extremism/?fbclid=IwAR1oSZCnW18IG9c5qyARIL686nIy_ivWfIxtSUAharkzEL6pz2sM7Nh8B5w

The attack that killed four members of a Muslim family was an example of Canada’s “most deadly extremist threat,” the prime minister’s national security adviser said on Tuesday.

In a speech to the Centre for International Governance Innovation, Vincent Rigby began by addressing the alleged vehicle attack he said had targeted a family “based on their Islamic faith.”

“Ideologically motivated violent extremism, or IMVE, in particular poses a growing threat to Canadian national security, and is our most deadly extremist threat,” Rigby said later in his address.

Opinion: Quebec's leaders put policy agenda ahead of student success

 Opinion: Quebec's leaders put policy agenda ahead of student success (msn.com)

Quebec's population is changing, but the makeup of the province's police forces is not

 

Statistics collected by CBC News reveal gap between officers and general population

Quebec's population is changing, but the makeup of the province's police forces is not | CBC News

Racism, prejudice contributed to Joyce Echaquan's death in hospital, Quebec coroner's inquiry concludes

 The Quebec government must recognize the existence of systemic racism within its institutions, according to the coroner tasked with investigating the death of Joyce Echaquan, who concluded that the racism and prejudice the Atikamekw woman faced in hospital contributed to her death.

Echaquan, a mother of seven, died on Sept. 28, 2020, at a hospital north of Montreal, moments after she recorded footage of herself in hospital as health-care staff hurled racist remarks at her.

Tuesday marked the one-year anniversary of Echaquan's death, which sparked outrage, protests and repeated calls for the province to recognize systemic racism.

Racism, prejudice contributed to Joyce Echaquan's death in hospital, Quebec coroner's inquiry concludes | CBC News

Anglo-Bashing Replaces Hockey as Quebec's National Sport

 With the unprecedented collapse of the Montreal Canadiens, out of the playoffs before the snow even falls, a dejected and angry Quebec media has turned instead its attention to the blood sport of bashing Anglophones, which has reached a dangerous tipping point sparked by the CEO of Air Canada's lack of French during a yearly review.

The visceral outrage in the French media is wholly disproportionate to the slight and has engendered nothing less than mass language hysteria.

Politicians have piled onto  the wagon of righteous indignation led by our illustrious Prime Minister calling it "an unacceptable situation,'' noting that the minister in charge of official languages is ''following up.''

No Dogs or Anglophones: Anglo-Bashing Replaces Hockey as Quebec's National Sport

Bill 96 will harm Indigenous people in Québec. We need more equitable language laws

 https://theconversation.com/bill-96-will-harm-indigenous-people-in-quebec-we-need-more-equitable-language-laws-182320?fbclid=IwAR0mGGfFL8nymMb8x4glOfday3xz9yiOL_7IezR-TRR48r3LS9I9QPf1DS0

 

Hanes: Young Quebecers are pawns in political chess match over CEGEPs

 Funny how no one is talking about the quality of French being learned by francophones these days. When he presented his brief on Bill 96, Karl Blackburn, the president of the Conseil du patronat , referred to research showing 53 per cent of Quebecers between the ages of 18 and 64 can’t read or are functionally illiterate. He called the fact French is so weak among francophones “a national catastrophe” that demands immediate redress.

Hanes: Young Quebecers are pawns in political chess match over CEGEPs (msn.com)

"half of current immigrants living in Quebec do not speak French."

 https://www.journaldequebec.com/2022/05/02/non-au-quebec

WHEREAS, according to Jon G. Bradley, Associate Professor (Retired), Education/McGill University: Quebec is not a "nation".

It never has been. Its status is recognized by the United Nations as a province within the nation of Canada. Calling oneself something does not make it so and Quebec's intelligentsia is deliberately misusing the word "nation" so as to imply a reality that exists only in their self-mirage. The only precise word to use regarding Quebec's reality is "province". If English is to be respected, then we - those who are English speakers - must demand that all those who use our language do so correctly and with respect. We must insist that Quebec is always referred to as a "province"; The concept of "collective rights" may exist in a labour bargaining situation but not when identifying those unique protections held by individuals. A review of the United Nations, Canadian and Quebec Charters clearly illustrate that "freedoms and rights" are attached solely to the individual. Therefore, a person may have a religious right, but a gaggle or collective cannot have a similar right. For example, an individual has freedom of expression, but a collective freedom of expression is an impossible concept and absurd on its face. Rights rest individually embedded in each citizen and not within a collective.

https://az184419.vo.msecnd.net/emsb/emsb-website/en/docs/2021-2022/motion-the-emsb-calls-on-the-quebec-government-to-withdraw-bill-96.pdf?fbclid=IwAR3qMNo5TppWi6iZQuG1f6-B0V3MQtyV93JswaQnvGtE0oAAAJSiwAsx6ks

Quebec’s Law 21 distorts the idea of a secular society

 IwAR2MLkOMOP5U3KVyDd08MtO7NDOENiHzBRAUb6zD2XQsTMHt7rji9paSA2M

The current Quebec government claims it wants to fully detach the state from any element of religion. Perversely, it has deformed the concept of laïcité into its own kind of religion. 

POLL: Diversity and Racism in Canada: Competing views deeply divide country along gender, generational lines

 One-quarter of Canadians feel “cold” toward Muslims, more than any other group asked about in the survey. Men over the age of 55 (42%) and Quebecers (37%) are among the most likely to say that.

Yet residents of Saskatchewan (44%) were the most likely to agree that Canada is a racist country. Residents of Quebec (24%) were the least likely.

The most pronounced divisions on these two statements about diversity appear to be political or ideological. One-quarter of those who supported the Conservative Party or Bloc Quebecois in the 2019 federal election disagree that diversity makes Canada better, and would like to live with neighbours that look like them, compared to far fewer among voters for the other three major federal parties. https://angusreid.org/diversity-racism-canada/?fbclid=IwAR3LFQTpZoXAZ-Nde8qkXDSRXygHLbazeKI56aKN_A53lEZCEdgRlEu696A

Widespread systemic racism in Canadian military ‘repulsing’ new recruits: report

 Systemic racism is rampant throughout the Canadian Armed Forces, "repulsing" new recruits and putting at risk the country's national security if jobs continue to go unfilled, according to a bombshell report.

In stark terms, the report probing racism in the Canadian military lays out why fixing the "toxic" environment goes to the heart of the military's ability to do the crucial jobs entrusted to it.

To sum it up: more and more Canadians will have no interest in joining until the military fixes its long-standing, interconnected issues of racism, abuse of power, gender discrimination and sexual misconduct.

Widespread systemic racism in Canadian military ‘repulsing’ new recruits: report (msn.com)