Minister Jean Boulet said that 80% of immigrants “do not work, do not speak French, or do not adhere to the values of Quebec society”, during a debate in Mauricie on September 21. He defended himself by saying “to have expressed his thoughts badly”
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“80% of immigrants go to Montreal, do not work, do not speak French, or do not adhere to the values of Quebec society,” said Mr. Boulet on the airwaves of ICI Mauricie, last Wednesday.
The Minister of Immigration, Francisation and Integration also maintained that the debate on the number of immigrants that should be welcomed is a purely academic question. “The immigrants, the thresholds, it’s a purely academic debate, you have to make sure you integrate them well,” he said.
After these remarks resurfaced on social networks, Jean Boulet apologized in a message posted on Twitter, arguing that he would have misspoken.
“I’m sorry for expressing my thoughts badly. The excerpt broadcast does not reflect what I think. We must continue to focus on the reception, francization and integration of immigrants, which are a source of wealth for Quebec,” he wrote.
Unacceptable comments, say the Liberals
These remarks aroused the indignation of the liberal candidate Isabelle Melançon, who described them as “unacceptable”.
“These prejudices do NOT correspond SO much to what I tell you on the ground, in Verdun. It is deplorable to see that this is what the outgoing Minister of Employment thinks,” she noted.