The Parti Québécois will not be part of the National Day show on the Plains of Abraham on June 23 because it disagrees with the choice of host, Émile Bilodeau.
• Read also: Émile Bilodeau wants a modern Saint-Jean celebration that is open to others: “We must not be afraid to make room for people we see less”
If the PQ had initially accepted the invitation of the National Movement of Quebecers (MNQ), it finally changed its mind through its spokesperson, Méganne Perry Mélançon.
“I have thought a lot over the past few days and have come to the conclusion that I am not comfortable pretending and prefer to be transparent with you all. The MNQ has chosen to make singer Émile Bilodeau the chief animator-host of the evening. It is their choice, they have every right to do so. But, I also have a right to question this decision and the motives of the MNQ”, indicated Ms. Perry Mélançon on her Facebook page.
Meganne Perry Melancon
Archival photo
“In recent years and particularly in recent months, Émile Bilodeau has, on many occasions, shown disrespect towards the Parti Québécois, its staff, its leader, its members, its militants. He has also shown very little respect for anyone who advocates state secularism. I took note of Émile Bilodeau’s apologies for his remarks to my boss, but that is not the question.
She judges that the MNQ “should not have endorsed the lack of respect and the ultra-partisanship of Émile Bilodeau by appointing him host, and I have complete freedom to express this point of view. So I made the choice to celebrate our National Day, quite simply elsewhere.”
Under the Facebook post of Méganne Perry Mélançon, Émile Bilodeau himself commented referring to the culture of cancellation:
“Happy St-Jean dear friend! I will animate, sing and dance my love for Quebec for 2 hours on the Plains of Abraham on June 23rd. I’m going to sing in Innu-aimun with my buddies from Malio, I’m going to play guitar on the Creole verse of my friends from Muzion, I’m going to do vocal harmonies on the chorus of my Congolese friend Pierre Kwenders, I’m going to denounce the treatment of francophones outside Quebec in North America in my song Candy, I’m going to jam with Patrick Norman who is about to retire after 50 years of career, I’m going to present each artist who accepted my invitation (from Laurence Jalbert to Vulgar Machins). In short, we are going to give you a good show esti. If you want to cancel me, I suggest you go and see what the Republicans are doing in the USA. They have experience in the field. Xxx »
The Mouvement national des Québécois does not intend to reconsider its choice of host, and finds it unfortunate that the Parti Québécois is not there. He always invites the PQ to participate.
Québec solidaire reacted by judging “very unfortunate” that the PQ is not a party. “There were artists who were more associated with the Parti Québécois who participated in the National Day and that never stopped people who were more QS from participating. It’s a unifying party and we also have an artist who reaches out to young people, ”commented Étienne Grandmont, MP for Taschereau for Québec solidaire.
In an interview on LCN, Frédéric Lapointe, president of the Mouvement national des Québécois first judged this controversy as “advertising” for Friday’s show.
“All this publicity makes sure that the show in Quebec will be memorable, I invite everyone to come to this big party,” he said first.
He then deplored the absence of the PQ.
“We must, in the parenthesis that is the National Day, put aside our little droppings on the heart and gather in a good mood. […] What is disturbing is that political parties can use the National Day to express points of view. It’s a door that you have to be careful not to open too often. If we only have artists who are consensual among all the political parties in Quebec, we would have a hard time furnishing our 650 stages for the National Day on June 23 and 24,” concludes Mr. Lapointe.