The measure in Bill 96 requiring immigrants to receive public services in French six months after their arrival is “totally arbitrary”, according to Solidarity MP Ruba Ghazal. Québec solidaire undertakes to render this clause inoperative if it is brought to power next October.
Posted at 8:38 p.m.
When solidarity MP Ruba Ghazal arrived in Quebec from Beirut, Lebanon, at the age of 10, she found herself in an integration class. And when his parents first met his teacher to learn more about his academic progress, they had been living in the country for more than six months.
They did not yet master French. The meeting therefore took place in English. “I am a child of Law 101, summarizes Mme Ghazal, in interview with The Press. And I spoke about it in the parliamentary committee with [le ministre de la Justice] Simon Jolin-Barrette: If my parents hadn’t been able to speak English, what would have happened to me? »
Render the clause inoperative
If Québec solidaire comes to power next October, it will render this measure in Bill 96 inoperative. “It creates a lot of concern among people, especially among minorities and the most vulnerable people,” says Ruba Ghazal. For Québec solidaire, the six-month clause is completely arbitrary. “It doesn’t mean much,” she says. And it is not with a clause like that that we are going to protect French people. »
Remember that Québec solidaire had first proposed an amendment to the bill to increase the time limit from six months to three years. His proposal was rejected.
Other measures, such as better funding for francization services and more rigorous supervision of employers to provide workplaces in French, would be more effective in preserving the language of Molière in Quebec, according to the MNA for Mercier.
“People who don’t speak our language yet, they want to learn it, they want to integrate, assures Mme Ghazal. The six months is arbitrary. We want to make sure that they receive services and that they understand them, to prevent them from turning in on themselves. »
Québec solidaire is also in agreement with the rest of Bill 96, which should be adopted in Quebec soon.
“The protection of the French language must be accompanied by benevolence towards [les immigrants], adds Ruba Ghazal. It is important for our social cohesion, for the Quebec of tomorrow, because it is immigrants and their children who will ensure the continuity of French. »