CAQ leader François Legault says his proposals to protect the French language and Quebec values have been associated with racism.
Passing through the riding of Ungava, he met business people and local elected officials on Saturday morning.
Mr. Legault took stock of his proposals. He said that “some people don’t like it” when he talks about the French language and Quebec values.
“I think that the majority of Quebecers want us to protect our language and our values, and we are where Quebeckers are,” he said, speaking to his audience. Not a few analysts who say otherwise and associate it with racism. What we want is to protect our language. »
Mr. Legault repeated his election promises to relieve taxpayers of the burden of inflation, and spoke of his plan to transition to an economy without greenhouse gases.
According to the chief caquiste, no other training than his has talked as much about education.
“Since the start of the campaign, there have been all sorts of things said to each other,” he said. Personally, I sincerely believe that we conducted the best campaign to respond to the concerns of Quebeckers. »
During a press briefing which followed this meeting with local representatives, Mr. Legault did not identify from whom came the accusations of racism of which he claims to be a victim.
“Those to whom the hat makes, let them wear it,” he repeated.
Mr. Legault did not repeat the word racism, he rather spoke of his positions.
“There are people who have tried to mix things up with the fact that I want to defend Quebec values and the French language. Now I think it’s being a nationalist,” he said.
Mr. Legault dismissed any link between these accusations and his controversial statements on immigration, notably this week, when he claimed that increasing the number of newcomers would be “suicidal”. He instead made the connection between his law on religious symbols and his reform of Law 101.
“A CAQ government passed Law 21, Law 96,” he said. Some people don’t like that, but that’s what the majority of Quebecers want. »
Mr. Legault refused to define Quebec values. He referred to the moment during the campaign when, speaking of immigration, he made a link with violence.
“You know how it went, when I tried to do it, you know how it went. I think Quebecers know that they can count on me to defend their values. »
By concluding a three-day tour that took him from Rouyn-Noranda to Chibougamau with stops in Amos and Lebel-sur-Quévillon, Mr. Legault took a look at his campaign as a whole.
“I think we have a good campaign, we have the support of Quebecers and things are going well,” he said.