It would appear that Quebec’s government of the day is continuing its quest to solve problems that don’t exist.
On Thursday, Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ) Immigration Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette tabled Bill 21, “An Act respecting the laicity of the State,” which would ban certain public servants with “coercive powers” from wearing religious symbols.
Among those affected would be judges, police officers, prison guards and teachers. Once passed, the law would bar them from donning anything from kippahs to hijabs or even rosary necklaces that aren’t tucked in. This law would only apply to new applicants, as current employees would be grandfathered in.
In a pre-recorded video released on Sunday night, Premier Legault defended the bill – seulment en français – as a moderate approach to the secularization of the state.
Several previous attempts at similar legislation, put forth by everyone from the Parti Quebecois to the Couillard Liberals, were far less even-handed. In addition to being lambasted by the courts as blatant violations of religious freedom, past secularism laws conspicuously ignored the large golden crucifix that hangs above the provincial legislature.
The CAQ have pulled a complete u-turn from their campaign messaging on that particular logical inconsistency. Once Bill 21 is adopted, the cross will be moved to a different part of the building, but even that concession wasn’t made without much wailing and beating of breasts.
Though the CAQ campaigned, and won a resounding majority, on this particular issue, it is a solution in need of a problem. No complaints have been made about turban-clad teachers imposing their religious views on pupils. It’s actually unclear how many public servants this law would affect, though teachers will be the largest contingent by far.
Quebecers could be forgiven for thinking this bill is truly about separation of church and state if it appeared in a vacuum. But in combination with several other moves by the government – from cutting immigration by 20 per cent (in the midst of a provincial labour shortage), to suggesting a “Quebec values test” for newcomers – the motivation is clear.
This is about using state power to discriminate against minorities.
The trigger-happy usage of the notwithstanding clause, which pre-empts constitutional challenges to the bill, indicates that the CAQ know they are on shaky ground legally and couldn’t care less. In fact, Legault thumbing his nose at the feds is likely one of the reasons this bill is so popular with his French nationalist base.
Unlike previous attempts at enforcing laicity, this bill will likely become the law of the land in the near future. Quebecers can rest easy knowing that our elected officials are busy eliminating the threat of scarves and skull caps while the province’s productivity and labour force continues to stagnate.
Caleb Nickerson
