The wife of Pierre Poilievre, Anaida Poilievre Galindo, gave her first interview to our colleague Paul Larocque on the show The Balance Sheet. It was an opportunity to discover what we call the conservatives’ secret weapon.
She is articulate, confident, intelligent and passionate. She is an undeniable asset for her husband, who wishes to become the next Prime Minister of Canada. She brings gentleness and a smile, which clashes with the abrasive image that her husband projects.
Funny surprise
Moreover, we are surprised by the quality of his French. But why then? She is a full-fledged Quebecer, having spent the majority of her life here in Quebec. She is a child of Bill 101, who was raised and studied in Quebec educational establishments.
To be surprised by the quality of her French would be to bring her back to her position as an immigrant, a newcomer. However, she arrived in Quebec at 8 years old, she is currently 36. When do we stop being perceived as an immigrant and become a simple fellow citizen in the eyes of the public?
- Listen to the Latraverse-Abdelfadel political meeting with Emmanuelle Latraverse via QUB radio :
This astonishment is not malicious and does not come from bad intentions, quite the contrary. We are always happy to see that immigrants adopt our language, our culture and our identity. Let them adopt Quebec. But shouldn’t that just be the norm?
To be surprised by the quality of Anaida Poilievre’s French is to be surprised by the quality of the French of Ruba Ghazal, Kim Thuy, Alexandra Diaz and Amir Khadir. Ridiculous, isn’t it?
Common identity
To serve French in Quebec and our identity, the adoption of the language of Molière should no longer be perceived as an extraordinary accomplishment. This should simply be the norm and the opposite should surprise us, even scandalize us.
TVA NEWS/QMI AGENCY
What should nevertheless delight us is to know that the Poilievre children are raised with French and Spanish at home. It is knowing that they will not, statistically speaking, be considered the bad allophones in a few years and that they will be able to be perceived as French-speaking Quebecers who master several languages and fully belong to a people of fighters.
The story of Anaida Poilievre is not that of the refugee, an allophone who learned French with difficulty and misery. It is that of the accomplished Quebecer, of Venezuelan origin, who could become the next first lady of Canada.