(Quebec) The Mouvement national des Québécois (MNQ) plays down the controversy that surrounded the appointment of singer Émile Bilodeau as host of the National Day show on the Plains of Abraham, in Quebec.
In an internal note, the MNQ, which is in charge of organizing the June 24 festivities, describes as “a crisis that originated in a glass of water” the controversy over the choice of this artist, who openly displays his support in Québec solidaire (QS) and its opposition to the law on state secularism.
Columnists as well as the Mouvement laïque québécois have denounced the choice of Émile Bilodeau who, according to them, is not unifying.
In the internal note obtained by The Canadian Press, the MNQ highlights the adoption of a motion by Québec solidaire (QS) in the National Assembly last week to salute the organization’s “exceptional work” in “organizing of the National Day in an independent and non-partisan way.
In an interview with The Canadian Press on Friday, the MNQ’s communications and marketing manager, Sophie Lemelin, was surprised that this internal memo was made public.
According to her, this controversy was indeed a storm in a teacup that only affected social networks.
In his eyes, contesting the choice of Émile Bilodeau touches on an issue of freedom of expression, freedom of association and freedom of opinion and the MNQ does not want to sink into such a debate.
Émile Bilodeau remains a completely unifying figure, she assured.
Recall that in the general elections last fall, the singer campaigned alongside QS co-spokesperson Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois in Verdun.
Earlier that year, he had called for a QS vote in the by-election in Marie-Victorin.
The singer had called the state secularism law “misogynistic, Islamophobic and degrading” legislation.
The Parti Québécois (PQ) also came under attack. In a tweet, he said that “the PQ must die for there to go (sic) a sovereignist opposition”.
In addition, he had ridiculed PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon in his crusade to have the oath to the King of England taken by elected members of the National Assembly abolished.