The Parti Québécois (PQ) wants there to be fleurdelisé flags in all classrooms in Quebec and that inspectors appointed by the government be responsible for ensuring this.
The member for Matane-Matapédia, Pascal Bérubé, tabled bill 792 on Thursday “aimed at increasing the presence of the Quebec flag”. This aims in particular for fleurdelisé to be deployed “on buildings used for school purposes”, but also inside all classrooms.
This obligation would apply in “each building located in Quebec occupied by a federal institution”, such as Canada Post or Via Rail buildings. Historic sites and national parks of Canada, such as Forillon Park, in Gaspésie, or the Citadel of Quebec, would also be targeted.
If the bill is adopted as is — which is far from assured, given the fact that it is a proposal from the third opposition group — the Minister of Culture and Communications will be able to appoint “inspectors” to “verify the application of the […] law and its regulations.
This could “enter, at any reasonable time, any place to access the place where a Quebec flag is displayed”. He would have authorization to take photos of the premises and examine said fleurdelise.
Current law stipulates that a Quebec flag must be “free from tears and laceration.” In other cases, it must be destroyed by burning.
Due to the proliferation of synthetic fleur-de-lis, Mr. Bérubé’s bill provides that discolored or damaged flags which are not made entirely of natural materials — and which therefore cannot be burned — be “cut into strips so that it is impossible to recognize the remains of a flag and the scraps [soient] arranged in an eco-responsible way, ensuring that they cannot be reused.”
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