Accused of being a “radical”, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon persists and signs: the federal government has always wanted to assimilate Quebec and French-speakers.
• Read also: National Council of the PQ: Canada seeks to “erase” Quebec, says PSPP
“The history of Canada is a story of assimilation,” the PQ leader said on Tuesday. [Il ne faut pas oublier ce que] Francophones experienced deportations, executions, and the ban on education in French. This regime has been constant throughout its history.
And Justin Trudeau is no exception, according to the sovereignist leader. “In terms of Quebec’s skills, never in the history of Canada has a prime minister said: ‘I will intervene in each of your areas of jurisdiction’,” he insisted.
At the end of the National Council of the Parti Québécois which was held last weekend in Drummondville, PSPP delivered a speech with a sovereignist flavor focused on the risks of Quebec remaining in Canada. He said he was certain of being able to hold the “last chance” referendum and pleaded for a freeze on temporary immigrants.
He delivered it on his return to the National Assembly. In all Canadian provinces, French-speakers have been assimilated and this is ultimately what awaits Quebec, insisted the leader of the Parti Québécois. “It’s intentional and Justin Trudeau continues the work of his father, Pierre Elliott Trudeau, it’s crystal clear.”
Immigrants seen as a threat
A plea that made the interim Liberal leader jump. PSPP is banking on fear and division, as Jacques Parizeau did with the “ethnic vote,” railed Marc Tanguay. “He pushes the envelope much too far, he is radical,” he maintained.
In the Liberal Party of Quebec, we put PSPP and François Legault in the same boat of “exaggerations” on the identity level. “It creates a climate where immigration [et] temporary foreign workers are seen as a threat!” denounced Marc Tanguay.
• Luc Lavoie didn’t mince his words! Listen to his very in-depth analysis at podcast of Yasmine Adelfadelavailable via
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Even Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, although a sovereignist, sharply criticized the “conservative” and “catastrophist” speech of the PQ.
“It’s a speech full of resentment,” lamented the parliamentary leader of Québec solidaire. I even think that a speech like that could alienate many young people from the independence project.”
Not a “plot”
In the eyes of the Caquists, if the actions taken by the federal government on immigration have a certain impact on Quebec culture, they should not be seen as a “conspiracy”.
“If we welcome more people than we have in terms of integration capacity, there is sure to be a problem,” agreed the Minister of Culture, Mathieu Lacombe. But I don’t think this is a deliberate, planned move by the federal government to make us disappear.”