The incumbent and CAQ candidate in Camille-Laurin, Richard Campeau, did not take offense at the use of the word “suicidal” by his leader when speaking of the increase in immigration thresholds. In fact, “native Francophones” seem to agree with that, he says.
Posted at 6:22 p.m.
Although he would not “personally” use the word “suicidal” to talk about the issue of immigration thresholds, the candidate for the Coalition avenir Québec explains that “it is the meaning that takes precedence”.
“In the case of the word suicidal, you always have to be careful in what context it was said. In the very long term, if we receive a lot of immigrants and we don’t integrate them, at the level of the language, we will have a problem”, he explained when he met while campaigning for the entrance to the Place Versailles shopping center in east Montreal.
The outgoing MP crossed paths with Liberal leader Dominique Anglade on Friday, who was taking a walkabout in the same sector.
“If that’s what it means ‘suicidal’, should it have taken another word or not, I think it just means it’s going to be difficult [de] preserve our language and the unity, the cement that it creates around that,” added Mr. Campeau, who agreed to answer questions from journalists.
For his part, the use of the word by the chief caquiste “disturbs him more or less”. “To tell you quite frankly from what I hear at the gates, people seem to be okay with that. Native Francophones, you will tell me. I think people said: well yes, it’s a word! “, he continued.
François Legault told the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal on Wednesday that “it would be a bit suicidal” for the Quebec nation to welcome more than 50,000 newcomers a year. Remarks that he reiterated in the press briefing following the event. The outcry was not long in coming. His opponents accused him of making “irresponsible”, “damaging” and “dangerous” remarks.
According to Mr. Campeau, the questions he receives in the field are more about welcoming immigrants. “I have always found it important to explain what welcoming is. Welcoming is not only the French language, but at the same time it is explaining to people how we live here […] That’s welcoming, showing people how we live, in a harmonious way, to make it easier to integrate,” he said.
Richard Campeau also came to the defense of his colleague Jean Boulet. He does not understand why the outgoing Minister of Immigration made these remarks on immigration. “Jean is not like that, I’m absolutely certain of that,” he said.
Jean Boulet affirmed last week in an electoral debate in Trois-Rivières that “80% of immigrants go to Montreal, do not work, do not speak French or do not adhere to the values of Quebec society. The key is regionalization and francization”. The statements resurfaced on Thursday, Jean Boulet has since apologized several times.