Poll shows Quebec anglos do not want school boards abolished

Conducted by Léger Marketing for the Quebec Community Groups Network, the poll reveals 82 per cent of anglophones are attached to their boards
   https://montrealgazette.com/news/quebec/poll-shows-quebec-anglos-do-not-want-school-boards-abolished?fbclid=IwAR0jDGOMl5ZE8cWptwgr_Jas0SOHK4dV3PMQhI5wqHLe1Gkv9gkv8VBFdcM

QUEBEC — With the Legault government putting the finishing touches on legislation to abolish school boards and elections, a new poll shows the vast majority of English-speaking Quebecers are very attached to them.

And overall, a majority of Quebecers — 55 per cent — do not want to see the Coalition Avenir Québec government abolish them.

Johnson: There's no threat in sight to French linguistic predominance in Quebec

What counts most for the vitality of French culture is the number of people speaking French, not slight variations in the proportion.   

http://montrealgazette.com/opinion/opinion-theres-no-threat-in-sight-to-french-predominance-in-Quebec

The usual chorus of Quebec politicians and pundits chanted lamentations over the 2016 census data published on Aug. 2. Even after Statistics Canada confirmed that a computer error had categorized thousands of French speakers as English, even after corrected figures were published on Aug. 17, the call was raised for tougher legislation to curtail English.

Anglican and Lutheran leaders speak out against Niqab ban

https://www.anglicannews.org/news/2017/11/anglican-and-lutheran-leaders-speak-out-against-niqab-ban.aspx?fbclid=IwAR1mqxO-6bAOFRZCxJVuAGdsCqrfj-MJAkQQfOB0CvvO332bDiEjNnGx25A

The Anglican bishops of Montreal and Quebec have joined the Bishop of the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada to speak out against a new law that bans the wearing of the Niqab – the Islamic face covering – in the province of Quebec from people delivering or receiving a public service. Bill 62 was passed by the Quebec National Assembly last month, and is described as “an Act to foster adherence to State religious neutrality”.

The Act purports to provide for religious neutrality in the provision of public services. Its introduction explains that “personnel members of public bodies must demonstrate religious neutrality in the exercise of their functions, being careful to neither favour nor hinder a person because of the person’s religious affiliation or non-affiliation or because of their own religious convictions or beliefs or those of a person in authority. However, this duty does not apply to personnel members of certain bodies while they are providing spiritual care and guidance services, or providing instruction of a religious nature.”

But it goes on to say that “Under the Act, personnel members of public bodies and certain other bodies as well as elected persons must exercise their functions with their face uncovered. In addition, persons who request a service from such a personnel member or person must have their face uncovered when the service is provided.”

Jeffrey Simpson: NDP's Quebec nationalism questionable

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/managing-tom-mulcair/article624695/

Similarly, Mr. Mulcair has driven the party into a very Quebec nationalistic position on language, whereby Quebec's Bill 101 would take precedence over the Official Languages Act for federal institutions in Quebec.

This position, similar to the one taken by the Parti Québécois and Bloc Québécois, will undoubtedly please Quebec secessionists and strong nationalists, but it does not jibe with the NDP's stated policy of support for the Official Languages Act.

Bill 21: Canadians divided on religious symbols ban, poll shows

https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/bill-21-canadians-divided-on-religious-symbols-ban-poll-shows?fbclid=IwAR04suCgHNQYqNa0l_zIgOZRrqRLNJJiNCqLqBfWkkr78pIKjt84v9RenxU

Quebec has been the subject of numerous negative headlines across Canada since tabling its controversial Bill 21, which would prohibit certain public sector employees from wearing religious symbols.

But a new poll shows that many in other provinces agree with the majority of Quebecers in favour of the bill. The Léger poll, conducted online for La Presse Canadienne April 18-22, polled 1,522 Canadians.

Taking into consideration responses from Quebec, 46 per cent of Canadians would be in favour of a similar bill, compared to 42 per cent who would be against it.

Macpherson: A 'carte carrée' photo ID for official anglos?

The governing Coalition Avenir Québec party would deny government services in English to everybody but the "historic" anglophone community.

 https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/macpherson-a-carte-carree-photo-id-for-official-anglos?fbclid=IwAR1SLKT_uByDxplJxRTFMUP9wAtpKQMRwaSb8JhEczqFhroYXbxHU4Px9Ws

Jedwab: Quebec’s proposed ban or religious signs a case study in identity politics

https://ottawacitizen.com/opinion/columnists/jedwab-quebecs-proposed-ban-or-religious-signs-a-case-study-in-identity-politics?fbclid=IwAR0CfxevIYcUIy1jTQ_pLag5_e83R5Hoqx_HH9HNJt0UnF9ecWLFVkBcfQY

Some Quebec intellectuals and policymakers contend that the thinking behind proposed government restrictions, via Bill 21, on the wearing of religious signs for persons in positions of authority originated in the push for greater state secularism that began in the 1960s. In fact, the key driver for the current debate emerged in 2006, when a local YMCA agreed to frost its windows to allay concerns of some orthodox Jews about boys being exposed to women in gym attire.

That concession gave rise to a public outcry, accompanied by fears that it was only the beginning of multiple requests to accommodate the province’s religious minorities. Concerns abounded over immigration, and about whether gender equality was at risk from certain religious minorities that would somehow impose their practices on the majority.

In January 2007, the small Quebec town of Hérouxville introduced a citizen “code of conduct” identifying specific practices to be disallowed. This openly Islamophobic code prohibited such things as stoning women and/or burning them alive, as if anyone in Quebec were doing so. Thankfully, most Quebecers saw the resolution as wildly excessive. Yet, many called on the government to establish rules to address all possible requests for religious accommodation.

Mathen: The tenuous constitutionality of [Quebec Law] 62

http://policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/october-2017/the-tenuous-constitutionality-of-bill-62/

If Quebec’s Bill 62 faces a Charter challenge based on freedom of religion, the province would need to satisfy a number of onerous legal tests.

Analysis: Quebec's language debate poised to roar back to life

Taking their cue from the Legault government’s fresh interest in the status of the French language now that it believes the secularism debate has cooled, the main opposition parties stepped up to say they too want action.

https://montrealgazette.com/news/quebec/analysis-quebecs-language-debate-poised-to-roar-back-to-life?fbclid=IwAR39MPJjEXWUlM26Vf4TedLcmugUNV0YDQCrJGKP7hYE1xMbdTvbxA0i5_o

In other words, nobody wants to surrender the vote-rich language theme to the Coalition Avenir Québec government when all parties are fighting for the same nationalist voters.

While the Parti Québécois said it has never stopped pushing for tougher language laws because it’s part of the party’s DNA, the Liberals surprised observers in saying they agree it might be necessary to re-examine the Charter of the French Language ...

Jedwab: For many Quebecers, this is not 'our way of being Canadian'

Any constitutional recognition of Quebec as a nation means denying Canada's own nationhood, Jack Jedwab writes.

http://montrealgazette.com/opinion/opinion-for-many-quebecers-this-is-not-our-way-of-being-canadian

Dialogue between Quebecers and other Canadians is always welcome. Beyond simply celebrating the 150th anniversary of Canada, there is value in reflection and discussion about our national identity and where the country is headed.

Such dialogue should not be tied to any eventual change to Canada’s Constitution. Regrettably, though, that is what the government of Quebec effectively is proposing in its recently issued policy statement titled Quebecers, Our Way of Being Canadian.

It’s true that much has changed since the last attempt to amend the Constitution. Younger generations of Canadians haven’t lived through the divisive referendums or the tumultuous constitutional negotiations of the 1980s and ’90s. But they can surely read about them in history books or consult parents or friends ...