(OTTAWA) The Quebec government suffered a setback on Tuesday when its first two amendments to Bill C-13 aimed at modernizing the Official Languages Act were rejected following heated debates in parliamentary committee.
Montreal Liberal MP Anthony Housefather stepped up to the plate as soon as the Bloc Québécois tabled an amendment whose main aim was to recognize the linguistic accommodation that Quebec has provided for in its Charter of the French language.
“To mention the Charter of the French language in this bill is essentially to say that we accept that only certain English-speaking Quebecers be served in English: only those who have access to English schools, he said in English. . It also means agreeing to use the derogatory clause in a preventive manner. »
Mr. Housefather later proposed that any reference to the Charter of the French Language be removed from the bill sponsored by the Minister of Official Languages – who is from their own party.
To fears of being subject to a provincial law, the Conservative Bernard Généreux replied that his political party does not give “carte blanche” to the Quebec government since C-13 already provides for a regular review of the law.
It was truly the New Democratic Party (NDP) that once again held the deciding vote. During a very brief speech, MP Niki Ashton said she was concerned about “the order of priority between the two laws”, namely the Official Languages Act and the Charter of the French language as amended in June by Bill 96. She then voted against the Bloc amendment.
In a press scrum, Mme Ashton tried to lessen the weight of his decision by saying the vote was on an aspect of the law’s preamble. “It’s all symbolic in the preamble,” she said. We did not agree with the order of priority, but that does not mean that we do not respect the Charter [de la langue française] or the need to apply the Charter. »
A few moments later, the Bloc Québécois critic for Official Languages, Mario Beaulieu, paid lip service to being surprised by the NDP’s vote.
Their possible support for the application of the Charter of the French language to businesses under federal jurisdiction – an amendment which should pass thanks to a consensus of the opposition – implies that “they agree up to a certain point that Quebec must be in charge of its linguistic development,” he said.
French, a common language?
The second amendment, which sowed discord, notably affirmed that French is the common language of Quebec, which the Liberals did not digest. Mme Ashton and Ontario Conservative MP Marilyn Gladu both voted “no” and did not explain their decision.
“I don’t see why this word is necessary. It is the official language, yes, French. But adding the word “commune” could imply obligations depending on someone’s interpretation in the future,” argued Marc Garneau, Liberal MP for Notre-Dame-de-Grâce–Westmount.
His colleague Patricia Lattanzio from Saint-Léonard–Saint-Michel then affirmed in English that this “new notion” is not defined “nowhere”. However, the expert from the Department of Canadian Heritage told him that this term is indeed defined in the Charter of the French language.
“The common language means the language of convergence, the language that brings everyone together, summarized to journalists the Bloc Québécois Mario Beaulieu who had tabled the amendment requested by the Government of Quebec. If we want to have a coherent society, [il] We need to talk to each other at some point. »
Mr. Beaulieu maintained that the Charter of the French language “does not take anything away from Anglophones” and said he had the impression that those who object to it “do not accept […] that Quebec society integrates immigrants”.
The Standing Committee on Official Languages has planned to hold up to six other meetings for the clause-by-clause study of the bill.
One of the highlights of the study of the bill should occur in the coming weeks when the members will vote on an amendment aimed at subjecting private businesses under federal jurisdiction to the Charter of the French language, as demanded by the Government of Quebec.
The parties have already displayed their colors: the Liberals are against, but the Conservative, Bloc and New Democrat oppositions are in favour, which should allow the amendment to pass, barring a bang.
Bill C-13 enshrines a new right to work and be served in French in Quebec and in “regions with a strong French presence” in other provinces in private enterprises under federal jurisdiction, such as banks, airlines or railway. However, the Charter of the French language of Quebec does not give the choice of language. It’s French. Point.