(Quebec) Irritated by the jokes of the opposition, the Legault government wants to banish the epithet “draft” in the House.
The Liberal opposition constantly comes up with this less than complimentary qualifier to portray the caquistes, but on Tuesday, the government’s parliamentary leader, Simon Jolin-Barrette, had had enough.
By constantly using the term “draft”, the Liberal Party (PLQ) thus recycles an accusation often launched by its former leader Philippe Couillard to the caquistes, to attach to them a label of amateurism.
However, the recent abandonment by the CAQ of its often hammered-out electoral commitment to the Quebec-Lévis highway tunnel has allowed the Liberals to have a field day.
During question period, Liberal MP Monsef Derraji was careful to insist, saying that “there is not only the third link where this government is messy, it is messy in several other files, […]but there is one file in particular where this government is messy, and it is very simple”.
And this is where, exasperated, Simon Jolin-Barrette interrupted him by getting up to raise a point of order with the president, Nathalie Roy.
“There is a clear intention on the part of the official opposition to use a term to use it in a way that is hurtful,” he pleaded, recalling that one cannot have recourse to hurtful remarks in the House.
“It is in your power, Mr.me President, that parliamentarians use respectful language among themselves and not with the intention of hurting. So I ask you, formally, to put the word on the index and ask the colleague to withdraw it. »
The president did not immediately consent to the request and did not comment on the merits, but warned the parliamentarians.
“It’s not on the index at the moment, but if it’s used as an insult, if it becomes hurtful, it could be. […] Now, I would tell you to use that word sparingly so it doesn’t get taken out. »
Remember that there are words placed on the index at the Assembly in a list of prohibited terms. It includes, among other things, “bad faith”, “hiding the truth”, “deception”, etc.