Robert Libman: Alphabet soup of payments bodes in poor health for Quebec anglos

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When it rains it pours. It’s been a stormy interval for Quebec anglophones, who want a scorecard to maintain observe of all of the numbered payments threatening the rights of the group.

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Invoice 40, nonetheless earlier than the courts, would change English faculty boards with “service-centres” managed by the Training Ministry. Many say this could strip constitutional rights of the English-speaking group to regulate its faculty system.

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Invoice 96 is progressively being carried out. Adopted final yr, it bulks up the French language constitution, compromising particular person rights and additional marginalizing the anglophone group. Ye Olde Orchard Pub is already being focused by Quebec’s language watchdog with new stringent laws concerning its iconic signage.

Invoice 23, tabled by Training Minister Bernard Drainville final week, offers the ministry energy to call the administrators basic of English faculty boards and even annul their choices. This could additional infringe on the suitable to administration and management of minority language training in Canada, assured below Part 23 — satirically — of the Canadian Constitution of Rights.

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Invoice C-13, the federal authorities revamp of the Official Languages Act, will finish 50 years of language equality of the English-speaking minority in Quebec and the French-speaking minority outdoors Quebec — an indicator of our nation. It recklessly incorporates into federal legislation the French-language constitution (Invoice 101) as modified by Invoice 96, which incorporates the however clause to override the charters of rights.

Invoice C-13 waters down the rights of minorities in Quebec additional by subjecting federally chartered firms like banks and railways in Quebec to Invoice 101. The federal minister of official languages, Ginette Petitpas Taylor, hasn’t heeded requires an modification affirming the rights of Quebec’s anglophone minority.

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On Monday, she participated in a love-in with Quebec’s French language minister, François Roberge, sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal. Over the weekend, the Journal de Montréal had cranked up the hysteria machine in regards to the inherent menace to Quebec if plans to dramatically improve immigration in Canada materialize.

The premier reacted by warning in opposition to rising immigration ranges and reiterated the necessity for measures to curb short-term international staff. Roberge mentioned “short-term immigrant staff are anglicizing Quebec” — one thing “we can’t tolerate.” He steered the federal government will quickly unveil new plans about deciding on immigrants. We will solely think about what which means, contemplating how Quebec’s measures to guard French usually spin off into stifling rights of minorities.

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Petitpas Taylor, who gave Roberge a stuffed peregrine falcon as a present, saluted his “management” and expressed hope that C-13 will quickly be adopted.

Quebec anglophones have turn into political orphans, deserted by all ranges of presidency. It’s turn into politically incorrect for any elected official to talk up on behalf of the group. Credit score goes to the handful of Quebec Liberal MPs in anglophone ridings who’ve had the heart to query features of C-13: Anthony Housefather, Emmanuella Lambropoulos, Patricia Lattanzio and, in fact, Marc Garneau, who selected that hill to die on by resigning his seat in parliament.

The Liberals must be held accountable for having launched the French-language constitution into this federal legislation. However the Conservatives and NDP have been worse, bringing amendments that additional weaken the standing of Quebec anglophones. It might take Liberal MPs to vote in opposition to C-13 to not less than make a press release in regards to the potential hurt of together with Invoice 101 within the legislation. Sadly, it appears the Liberals are “whipping” their MPs into supporting the invoice, with the ultimate vote anticipated subsequent week. It seems Housefather will stand alone in displaying a backbone and signify his constituents by voting in opposition to.

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Through the 2015 election, Justin Trudeau promised to loosen oppressive celebration self-discipline and permit MPs to, as he put it, signify their constituents in Ottawa relatively than having to signify Ottawa to their constituents. Sadly, it now appears that was a lie.

Robert Libman is an architect and constructing planning marketing consultant who has served as Equality Get together chief and MNA, as mayor of Côte-St-Luc and as a member of the Montreal govt committee. He was a Conservative candidate within the 2015 federal election. twitter.com/robertlibman