Straight to the point | The CAQ and the bogeyman of immigration

We can no longer speak of isolated blunders. The Coalition avenir Québec (CAQ) has been making dubious statements about immigration since the beginning of the campaign. Either this is a deliberate strategy or these words reflect the prejudices and lack of sensitivity of those who utter them. Either way, it’s unacceptable.

Now it is the turn of outgoing minister Jean Boulet to affirm that 80% of immigrants “go to Montreal, do not work and do not speak French”. That’s not even close to being true. In Montreal, the employment rate for immigrants is close to that of the native-born (62.2% versus 63.3%). And 81% of Quebec immigrants can carry on a conversation in French.

Jean Boulet is the outgoing Minister… of Immigration. That he spreads such falsehoods is astounding. Mr. Boulet apologized and Mr. Legault disowned his minister. Fortunately. But after associating immigration with extremism, violence and a threat to social cohesion, Mr. Legault also called it quits on Wednesday, saying that keeping the thresholds at 50,000 immigrants would be “a bit suicidal”.

By raising scarecrows with immigration in this way, the CAQ is fueling intolerance and prejudice and helping to turn citizens against each other. We can absolutely discuss immigration to Quebec. But not with blows of falsehoods and amalgams. It is high time for the CAQ to understand this.