Legault calls on Quebecers to rally
around the French bill
Prime Minister François Legault called on Quebeckers on Thursday to rally around the bill on the official and common language of Quebec, French. It is the result of "many compromises", including a "fine compromise" on commercial signage, a "good compromise" on the status of bilingual cities and a "reasonable compromise" on access to English-speaking CEGEPs.
A "reasonable compromise". The Minister responsible for the French language, Simon Jolin-Barrette, proposes in Bill 96 to cap the proportion of students enrolled in the English-speaking college network at 17.5%, in addition to limiting the creation of new places to 8.7%, at most, of new places in the entire college network.
“If it allows everyone to increase at the same time, there is something that can be interesting,” said Liberal elected representative Hélène David after going through the 100-page bill. Neither she nor her boss Dominique Anglade recalled the position of the Liberal Party of Quebec , which consisted quite simply of "maintaining the current number of full-time equivalent students in English-speaking CEGEPs".
The leader of the Parti Québécois , Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, for his part, has severely scratched the "half-measure" recommended by the Caquist government to cut off the momentum of English-speaking CEGEPs. We must block the access of francophones and allophones to the anglophone college network, he repeated Thursday.
The subjugation of college education to Bill 101, "it's extremist," said Mr. Legault, siding behind the rule established by Mr. Jolin-Barrette. "We managed to make a reasonable compromise, to achieve our objective, but to seek the support of the population,
" he said at a press conference.
The Caquist government also intends to impose a uniform French test on students in the English-speaking college network, except for those declared eligible for instruction in English in elementary and secondary schools.
A good compromise ". The minister responsible for the French language said he was starting Thursday to withdraw the bilingual status of any municipality where English speakers now account for less than 50% of the population, unless his municipal council adopts a resolution within 120 days. to keep it. The author of Bill 96 sees it as a "good compromise" between "the exemplary nature of the State in the protection and enhancement of the French language" and "municipal autonomy".
A "beautiful compromise". The Caquist government is also proposing to apply the rule of the clear predominance of French in the “public display visible from the outside” of a trade-mark comprising “an expression taken from a language other than French”. “For example, you have Canadian Tire. The words “renovation center” should be a little bigger than Canadian Tire. […] Most of what is written must be in French, ”explained Mr. Legault. Claiming to want to "be reasonable", the nationalist prime minister refused to breathe new life into "French unilingualism in commercial signage" to which former prime ministers René Lévesque and Robert Bourassa had both subscribed.
Minister Jolin-Barrette also said he was determined to strengthen the fundamental right to be served and informed in French in a business. "The person who would be refused to be served in French could file a complaint with the [Office québécois de la langue française] or could turn to a civil remedy for a company which has more than five employees", indicated Mr. Jolin-Barrette, while specifying that if “you are greeted with a 'Bonjour- Hi !', It is not covered by the law”.
"Massive blow"
The Legault government's compromise bill did not pass the Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN) values test. It undermines "the vitality of the English-speaking community", while trampling on "the fundamental rights of its members," said QCGN president Marlene Jennings. She fears "unnecessary conflicts and divisions" within Quebec society if the National Assembly gives its blessing to the proposed changes to the Charter of the French language.
Marlene Jennings also said she was stunned by the "constitutional blow" struck by Mr. Jolin-Barrette through Bill 96. She could not believe Thursday that the Minister of Justice intends to amend the Constitution Act of 1867 in order to include two provisions: “Les Québécois constitute a nation” and “French is the only official language of Quebec [and] the common language of the nation of Quebec”. According to the president of QCGN, this maneuver reflects a "closed and narrow vision of a Quebec
which is moving further and further away from the rest of Canada".
François Legault said he considered it "urgent" to strengthen the "rampart" protecting French "in a sea of English speakers", ie law 101.
In Ottawa, the Minister of Official Languages, Mélanie Joly, reminded the Commons of her desire to "recognize the right to work in French, to be served in French and not to be discriminated against on the basis of being Francophone in businesses. federal authorities in Quebec and in regions with a strong Francophone presence ”.
Professor at the Faculty of Law at the University of Sherbrooke Guillaume Rousseau hails the "global approach" adopted by Simon Jolin-Barrette. “There is no“ one ”magic measure. But all the measures taken together, there we are! The only way to act is on all fronts, ”insists the co-author of Restoring French as an Official Language . The specialist in linguistic law in Quebec, however, would have "gone further" on a few fronts, including that of municipalities. It would have forced them to have a language policy with measures adapted to their realities aimed at promoting the French language.
A "reasonable compromise". The Minister responsible for the French language, Simon Jolin-Barrette, proposes in Bill 96 to cap the proportion of students enrolled in the English-speaking college network at 17.5%, in addition to limiting the creation of new places to 8.7%, at most, of new places in the entire college network.
“If it allows everyone to increase at the same time, there is something that can be interesting,” said Liberal elected representative Hélène David after going through the 100-page bill. Neither she nor her boss Dominique Anglade recalled the position of the Liberal Party of Quebec , which consisted quite simply of "maintaining the current number of full-time equivalent students in English-speaking CEGEPs".
The leader of the Parti Québécois , Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, for his part, has severely scratched the "half-measure" recommended by the Caquist government to cut off the momentum of English-speaking CEGEPs. We must block the access of francophones and allophones to the anglophone college network, he repeated Thursday.
The subjugation of college education to Bill 101, "it's extremist," said Mr. Legault, siding behind the rule established by Mr. Jolin-Barrette. "We managed to make a reasonable compromise, to achieve our objective, but to seek the support of the population,
" he said at a press conference.
The Caquist government also intends to impose a uniform French test on students in the English-speaking college network, except for those declared eligible for instruction in English in elementary and secondary schools.
A good compromise ". The minister responsible for the French language said he was starting Thursday to withdraw the bilingual status of any municipality where English speakers now account for less than 50% of the population, unless his municipal council adopts a resolution within 120 days. to keep it. The author of Bill 96 sees it as a "good compromise" between "the exemplary nature of the State in the protection and enhancement of the French language" and "municipal autonomy".
A "beautiful compromise". The Caquist government is also proposing to apply the rule of the clear predominance of French in the “public display visible from the outside” of a trade-mark comprising “an expression taken from a language other than French”. “For example, you have Canadian Tire. The words “renovation center” should be a little bigger than Canadian Tire. […] Most of what is written must be in French, ”explained Mr. Legault. Claiming to want to "be reasonable", the nationalist prime minister refused to breathe new life into "French unilingualism in commercial signage" to which former prime ministers René Lévesque and Robert Bourassa had both subscribed.
Minister Jolin-Barrette also said he was determined to strengthen the fundamental right to be served and informed in French in a business. "The person who would be refused to be served in French could file a complaint with the [Office québécois de la langue française] or could turn to a civil remedy for a company which has more than five employees", indicated Mr. Jolin-Barrette, while specifying that if “you are greeted with a 'Bonjour- Hi !', It is not covered by the law”.
"Massive blow"
The Legault government's compromise bill did not pass the Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN) values test. It undermines "the vitality of the English-speaking community", while trampling on "the fundamental rights of its members," said QCGN president Marlene Jennings. She fears "unnecessary conflicts and divisions" within Quebec society if the National Assembly gives its blessing to the proposed changes to the Charter of the French language.
Marlene Jennings also said she was stunned by the "constitutional blow" struck by Mr. Jolin-Barrette through Bill 96. She could not believe Thursday that the Minister of Justice intends to amend the Constitution Act of 1867 in order to include two provisions: “Les Québécois constitute a nation” and “French is the only official language of Quebec [and] the common language of the nation of Quebec”. According to the president of QCGN, this maneuver reflects a "closed and narrow vision of a Quebec
which is moving further and further away from the rest of Canada".
François Legault said he considered it "urgent" to strengthen the "rampart" protecting French "in a sea of English speakers", ie law 101.
In Ottawa, the Minister of Official Languages, Mélanie Joly, reminded the Commons of her desire to "recognize the right to work in French, to be served in French and not to be discriminated against on the basis of being Francophone in businesses. federal authorities in Quebec and in regions with a strong Francophone presence ”.
Professor at the Faculty of Law at the University of Sherbrooke Guillaume Rousseau hails the "global approach" adopted by Simon Jolin-Barrette. “There is no“ one ”magic measure. But all the measures taken together, there we are! The only way to act is on all fronts, ”insists the co-author of Restoring French as an Official Language . The specialist in linguistic law in Quebec, however, would have "gone further" on a few fronts, including that of municipalities. It would have forced them to have a language policy with measures adapted to their realities aimed at promoting the French language.
LEDEVOIR
With Marie Vastel
https://www.ledevoir.com/politique/quebec/601385/legault-appelle-les-quebecois-a-se-rallier-autour-du-projet-de-loi-sur-le-francais?utm_source=infolettre-2021-05-14&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=infolettre-quotidienne
With Marie Vastel
https://www.ledevoir.com/politique/quebec/601385/legault-appelle-les-quebecois-a-se-rallier-autour-du-projet-de-loi-sur-le-francais?utm_source=infolettre-2021-05-14&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=infolettre-quotidienne