(Quebec) The Liberal Party of Quebec (PLQ) will vote against Prime Minister François Legault’s candidate for the post of French language commissioner because of “significant differences of vision”. Despite everything, the government will appoint Benoît Dubreuil next week, with the support of Québec solidaire (QS) and the Parti québécois (PQ).
The Liberal caucus made its decision on Friday, the day after a meeting between its MP Madwa-Nika Cadet and Mr. Dubreuil.
“Despite a cordial meeting that allowed us to discuss the challenges facing the French language in Quebec, major philosophical differences remain,” says Ms.me Cadet.
For interim chief Marc Tanguay, “the Caquist government, with all due respect for Mr. Dubreuil, is not proposing to appoint the right person to this position”. He calls for “a candidacy that will be able to make the necessary analyzes and nuances so that all Quebecers can feel part of this important collective objective that is the development of French in Quebec”.
PHOTO ANDRÉ PICHETTE, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Benoît Dubreuil (right) and Guillaume Marois (left) co-wrote the essay The Imaginary Remedy — Why Immigration Won’t Save Quebec published in 2011.
To justify its decision, the PLQ relies in particular on passages of the test The Imaginary Remedy — Why Immigration Won’t Save Quebec (Boréal, 2011), which Benoît Dubreuil co-wrote with demographer Guillaume Marois.
“The lack of nuance in Mr. Dubreuil’s past writings and his bias in judgment concerning an immigrant’s sense of belonging worry the Liberal team,” said the PLQ.
In this essay, he argues, Benoît Dubreuil “considers that the use of a language other than French at home by a majority of immigrants can be considered a sign of the weakening of our official language”.
However, for the liberals, “it is the language spoken in the public sphere which must serve as a reference indicator. The state must not interfere around people’s dinner tables and let Quebecers speak the language of their choice at home”.
The Liberals also accuse Mr. Dubreuil of calling into question “immigrants’ sense of belonging to Quebec society” and challenging their “political and democratic behavior” in his book. It “hit” them. The PLQ cites excerpts from the book in its press release to support its statements.
Finally, the PLQ “would have hoped for a candidacy whose professional background is more closely linked to linguistic issues”. “Mr. Dubreuil’s candidacy includes relevant skills in program evaluation, but language issues seem to be peripheral to his career,” he argues.
Thursday, a few days after a meeting with Benoît Dubreuil, QS changed its tune and announced its support for Benoît Dubreuil’s candidacy.
The Legault government will propose next week to the National Assembly to appoint Mr. Dubreuil to the position of French language commissioner, a new watchdog created under the An Act respecting the official and common language of Quebec, French (Law 96), adopted last year.
This appointment requires the support of two-thirds of the deputies. The Coalition avenir Québec already has more than 66% of the deputies, but the government generally seeks unanimity, or at least broad support, to make this kind of appointment. He believes he has sufficient support with QS and the PQ.
On December 9, the last day of the fall session, Mr. Legault wanted to propose the nomination of Mr. Dubreuil to the National Assembly, but he gave up after QS announced his intention to vote against it and the Liberal Party du Québec (PLQ) had withdrawn its support on the day of the vote. Both parties later agreed to meet with the candidate and reconsider their position.