By the end of the election campaign, the editorial team of the To have to will offer an analysis of the main commitments of political parties on themes that concern all Quebecers. Today: language and identity.
After passing Bill 96 “on the official and common language, French” (PL 96), strengthening Bill 101 which was intended to be “robust”, according to Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette, but deemed weak by the Parti Québécois, the Coalition avenir Québec hardly returned to the subject during the election campaign, nor to questions of identity and national affirmation, for that matter. It is a deliberate choice.
The issue of the French language is not addressed in the CAQ’s electoral platform. It was indirectly discussed when François Legault ventured into the field of immigration, a subject which, for the CAQ leader, turns into quicksand. In fact, the linguistic situation hit the headlines eleven days before the election was called when Statistics Canada unveiled data from the 2021 census showing a worrying decline in French both in Quebec and in the rest of Canada.
The CAQ platform has five main themes: health, economy, education, environment and pride. During the national convention of the CAQ in May, this pride served as a partisan incantation. But in its platform, engagements under this catch-all heading are pretty thin. The CAQ promises to give a second life to churches with an envelope of 40 million more for four years. It intends to promote reading among young people, stimulate local businesses in the villages and make Quebec a second metropolis. In addition, in terms of identity, so to speak, we note the creation of 20 research chairs in Quebec studies in order to “put an end to the decline in studies on Quebec observed since the 1990s”. For pride, among young university students at least, we will come back.
It must be said that the deployment of certain measures provided for in the law is yet to come, in particular the establishment of a French language ministry, the appointment of a French language commissioner and the creation of Francisation Québec within from the Department of Immigration. The table is set.
Québec solidaire voted in favor of Bill 96 even though the CAQ government refused its amendment aimed at reducing from six months to two years the period beyond which newcomers cannot be served by the State in English . Moreover, QS would like language requirements to be imposed on small businesses with 10 to 24 employees, whereas the threshold set in the law is 25 employees.
Although not mentioned in its platform, QS intends to amend the State Secularism Act by allowing teachers to wear a religious sign in class, including the hijab. This position agrees with that of the Liberal Party.
In terms of language, it is the Liberal Party and the Parti Québécois who talk about it the most, with the difference that, for Dominique Anglade, the subject has led to a real stampede. The liberal program promoted by the leader provides 27 proposals on the French language, some of which join the provisions of PL 96. This is the case of the cap on the number of students in English CEGEP. The platform invalidates this intention. We therefore opted for the free choice of the English CEGEP, a network that could thus continue to expand.
The position of the PLQ now corresponds to that of the Quebec Community Groups Network, which the Liberal leader and some of her deputies joined during a demonstration last May.
If the PLQ seeks to reconcile with its once unwavering English-speaking base, the Conservative Party of Quebec wanted to open its arms to it, not without some success, if we are to believe the polls. Using a libertarian logic, Éric Duhaime opposes PL 96 and defends the rights of Anglophones in the name of individual freedoms. Paradoxically, he supports the State Secularism Act.
For its part, the PQ stands out from the CAQ by reserving attendance at the English CEGEP only for students from the English secondary school. In addition, a uniform French test would be imposed on all CEGEP students, including Anglophones, many of whom are struggling to pass French as a second language exams.
Thus, François Legault can boast of being in the place he prefers, that is to say in the middle, between the voluntary PQ and the PLQ which wants to save the furniture by lining up behind the opinion of the minority. Anglophone whose cause is also that of English Canada as a whole.