A Liberal candidate in the riding of Îles-de-la-Madeleine had to retract on Thursday after referring to a “slow genocide” of the English-speaking community and the risk of “civil war” in a comment on the CAQ reform of the law 101.
Gil Thériault, who is seeking the vote for the first time in the archipelago, corrected the situation, the day after a debate of the candidates for the next election where he had made these remarks.
“The image used yesterday was too strong but, on the ground, when I speak with the English-speaking community, I am told that they feel excluded by François Legault, whereas they contributed to building the Quebec of today. today,” he said in a written statement sent to the To have to.
Mr. Thériault was approached Thursday following his response, Wednesday evening, to a question on the local impact of Law 96, adopted in May, at the origin of this reform of the provisions protecting the French language in Quebec.
The candidate commented on the concerns of the English-speaking community of the archipelago regarding access to services in their language and francization requirements in their workplaces.
“I have spoken extensively with my English-speaking friends about this issue. I cannot describe to you the fear these people had when they saw Bill 96 appear. For them, it is the equivalent of a slow genocide of the English-speaking community of the Magdalen Islands,” he said in a recording obtained by The duty.
Civil war
Mr. Thériault deplored the impact of the new rules now requiring francization of businesses with 25 or more employees. This requirement is unacceptable, according to the Liberal candidate, who used a hypothetical comparison to illustrate his point.
“Turn that backwards two minutes, [disons] that the Îles-de-la-Madeleine were annexed to Prince Edward Island and that on September 30 it is said that it will take place in English in all companies with more than 25 employees on the Islands, he said during the debate. It would be civil war. »
Mr. Thériault said that the new rule requiring public services to communicate exclusively in French with immigrants six months after their arrival makes “no sense” for English-speaking businesses in the Magdalen Islands, right in the context of a labor shortage.
“They obviously want people who speak English, it’s an English-speaking community,” he said.
According to the Liberal candidate, who is director of the Association des chasseurs de phoques intra-Québec, the English spoken by the leader caquiste François Legault demonstrates that it is unrealistic to demand mastery of French so quickly.
“Mr. Legault is 65 years old and he does not speak English yet. I don’t know how he thinks people are going to learn in six months a language that is complex,” he said, referring to French.
In May, the Liberals voted against Bill 96.
More details will follow.