The Coalition Avenir Québec reported on Friday that the Prime Minister, François Legault, would refuse to participate in the English debate organized during the election campaign in September. The invitation was issued by a consortium including CBC, CTV, Global and CJAD.
“We declined the invitations for two debates, including one in English. It must be understood that each debate requires significant and not insignificant preparation time, ”said the spokesperson for the Prime Minister, Ewan Sauves, to CBC News.
Paul Saint-Pierre Plamondon in turn announced Friday that he would be absent from the leaders’ debate in English.
In a tweet, the leader of the Parti Québécois justified his refusal by mentioning that “the official and common language in Quebec is French. »
“We will of course be available to answer questions from English-speaking journalists,” he added.
The Parti Québécois will not participate in the leaders’ debate in English. The official and common language in Quebec is French. We will of course be available to answer questions from English-speaking journalists.
— Paul St-Pierre Plamondon (@PaulPlamondon) May 13, 2022
strong criticism
In 2018, François Legault participated in the first leaders’ debate organized in English. According to Liberal leader Dominique Anglade, quoted by CBC, the Prime Minister is “turning his back” on a large portion of the population by refusing to participate this year.
“In 2018, he participated, but there, it no longer suits him. It doesn’t even matter anymore. What kind of message are we sending to the public? “, she said.
In addition to the Liberals, Québec Solidaire and the Conservative Party are among the political parties that have accepted the invitation to the Anglophone debate in September.
“We are going to be there. Today’s events do not change anything, ”said Quebec Solidaire spokesperson Stéphanie Guévremont to TVA Nouvelles.
Conservative leader Éric Duhaime confirmed his presence on Twitter, saying that “François Legault is now trying to divide us between Francophones and Anglophones.”
“This prime minister is not up to his job,” he said.
After having divided Quebecers between essentials and non-essentials, between vaccinated and non-vaccinated, between believers and lay people, François Legault is now trying to divide us between Francophones and Anglophones.
This prime minister is not up to his job.
— Eric Duhaime (@E_Duhaime) May 13, 2022