While most people in this province were out enjoying the summer weather this past weekend, Quebec’s elected officials were busy debating two highly contentious bills during a marathon session that delayed the legislature’s summer recess.
Bill 9, which would restructure Quebec’s immigration system, was passed at 4 a.m. Sunday morning after a highly charged debate, with 62 members in favour to 42 opposed.
The passage of Bill 21, which would ban certain public workers from wearing religious symbols, followed at 10:30 that evening, with 73 votes in favour to 35 against.
The mechanism of closure, which allows the government to limit the time to debate a proposed bill, was invoked by Premier Francois Legault in both instances, giving a strong message to Quebecers and the rest of Canada that these changes are a priority for his Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ).
Both bills were overseen by CAQ house leader Simon Jolin-Barrette, who also holds the truly Orwellian title of Immigration, Diversity and Inclusiveness Minister. There was some frustration from the opposition that Jolin-Barrette, who is spearheading several key files for the Legault government, was spread too thin and not available for enough of the debate on both bills.
The CAQ, naturally, blamed the opposition for stalling changes to the law that the population widely supports. They were elected to a strong majority in October after all.
However, while vague feelings that Jean and Genivève Six Pack have about the levels of immigration or the need to “secularize” the province might have propelled the CAQ to victory, they don’t necessarily align with the draconian measures that are now being imposed.
With Bill 9, immigrants that have ongoing applications under the previous framework (approximately 18,000 people as well as their families) will be forced to start all over under the new system rather than have their claims transferred.
New arrivals to the province will also be subject to a language and “Quebec values” test before being given permanent residency status.
In discussions on Bill 21, the government was pressed to clearly define religious symbols and their vague response means there will be some odd loopholes to this legislation. A police officer wearing a cross on a necklace, for example, is due for a reprimand, but one with a giant cross tattoo on his forearm is totally in the clear.
Another telling amendment to Bill 21 that Jolin-Barrette introduced at the eleventh hour will change how the law which bans public servants in positions of authority such as teachers or corrections officers from wearing religious symbols, is enforced.
Previously, the top administrator at a school or prison would be the one tasked with ensuring their subordinates complied with the new dress code. Many school boards have already announced that they would not enforce Bill 21 if it passed. Jolin-Barette’s changes allow various ministries in charge of such services (Education, Corrections, Public Security, etc.), to designate employees for the task of policing hijabs and kippahs.
Bureaucrats-turned-hall-monitors riding out from their ivory towers in Quebec City to enforce the “will of the people” are sadly not a new phenomenon in this province, especially not in the Pontiac (see this week’s feature on page 5). It calls to mind another law – Quebec’s language charter, Bill 101, which is also used as a cudgel against minorities.
If the CAQ really does have the support of the people like they claim, then why would they choose limit debate and ram these half-baked rules through in a marathon sitting of the legislature? The tens of thousands of people who will be affected by these laws deserve better from their elected leaders.
Caleb Nickerson
