It’s the start of a new year and there are plenty of new and exciting things to look forward to, like post-holiday weight gain, the return to work and the feeling that . . .
time is slowly accelerating away from you and things will never be the same.
But seriously, there is one thing that the New Year brings that isn’t all glum, it’s the implementation of new provincial legislation.
Two interesting tweaks to the law in Quebec came into force last week, one being the new values test for immigrants, as well as the raising of the legal age for cannabis consumption from 18 to 21.
The latter amendment has already been thoroughly lambasted in these pages (see our Dec. 12, 2018 issue), but what’s the harm in another kick at the can?
It’s true that cannabis, like all intoxicating substances, can have negative effects on the mind, especially those that are still developing. Raising the legal age exclusively on cannabis, however, when Quebec has the lowest drinking age in the country, sends a mixed message and reflects poorly on the reactionaries that put this law in place.
A teenager in Quebec can legally purchase whatever hard liquor they desire and drink until they die from alcohol poisoning, but our society can’t trust them with a joint (which, at risk of pointing out the obvious, is significantly less lethal)? They’re allowed to smoke cigarettes, join the military and partake in plenty of other “adult” activities, why is cannabis treated differently?
Furthermore, do our provincial overlords really believe that by bumping the legal age higher, they’re stopping young adults from sparking up? Despite the changes that legalization has brought about, the black market still exists, and it’s where this newly-created cohort of under-agers will likely turn to get their weed. This law is poorly thought out and should be repealed.
On to another hare-brained scheme cooked up in Quebec City: a values test.
There’s no lack of politicians who like to talk up the unique aspects of Quebec’s culture and heritage. It was only six, no wait, seven years ago that then-Premier Pauline Marois tried – and failed – to introduce her Charter of Quebec Values, and the current CAQ government achieved a majority campaigning on similar identity issues.
It’s hard to comprehend how this new tweak to becoming a citizen of this province will have any meaningful effect. It’s a 20 question, multiple-choice, online quiz that you need to score a 75 per cent on to pass. Sample questions were released last year and include things like religious symbols, the official language and same-sex marriage.
If someone who doesn’t share these particular values wants to jump through this “hoop” (if you can even call it that) to become a Quebec citizen, all they have to do is open a different tab on their web browser and google the answers. They could even pay someone to take it for them.
On the other hand, for the immigrants that just want to secure a permanent spot in this wonderful province, this is another item to cross off the already daunting checklist to become a Canadian citizen.
Under close examination, this “test” is so hilariously useless that it begs the question: why bother?
These specific changes will probably have little effect on Quebec in the long run, but the fact that current government thought them important enough to campaign on is incredibly disheartening. Let’s hope that cool heads and common-sense legislation prevails in the future.
Caleb Nickerson
