CAQ Leader François Legault says proposed ‘values charter’ is too radical and divisive.
Legault says PQ plan is ‘too radical’
LAC-MÉGANTIC — Premier Pauline Marois said Monday that her government’s proposed Charter of Quebec Values is based on the “universal values” of the equality of women and men and freedom of religion.
And she said anglophone Quebecers will be able to present their views on the new charter.
“And I am sure we will be able to reach a consensus,” she said, answering a reporter’s question in English. Marois made the comments Monday while in Lac-Mégantic to announce her government’s support for plans to build a new commercial district in this town of 6,000.
The reporter noted that while polls indicate strong support for the new charter among French-speaking Quebecers, most non-francophone Quebecers tell pollsters they are opposed.
“Nobody knows exactly what we will present as a Charte des valeurs,” Marois said, using the French term for the charter. She said that a bill to enact it will be presented in the National Assembly when it resumes sitting next month.
Asked why her government is proposing a charter that would reportedly include a sweeping ban on the wearing of religious symbols, such as Islamic and Jewish head coverings, Marois recalled Quebec’s debate on “reasonable accommodation” of religious differences a few years ago.
She said that debate “created a lot of division, a lot of anger, even.”
“I hope we can live together respecting the diversity of Quebec and also knowing the rules that apply when it comes to accommodation,” the premier added.
“The charter we propose will bring people together because it will identify a certain number of values, which are universal values, but for which we will propose a framework for Quebec which in my opinion will be far from dividing people.”
Earlier in Quebec City, François Legault, leader of the Coalition Avenir Québec, described the PQ proposal as “too radical.”
Marois said she welcomes Legaut’s willingness to discuss and debate her proposal.
“I hope we have a serene, harmonious debate so that we can collectively draw conclusions that will allow us to live together better in Quebec,” she said.
Legault proposed what he called a “reasonable, balanced approach” to ac- commodating religious differences in the province by limiting the ban to people in positions of authority, such as judges, police officers, prison guards, public school principals and teachers.
A news report last week said the PQ’s proposed Charter of Quebec Values would ban the wearing of nonChristian symbols i n the public sector, including by daycare educators.
At a weekend meeting of the PQ youth wing, Marois said the charter would be a force for unity among Quebecers, just as Bill 101, Quebec’s Charter of the French Language, was.
Legault disagrees. “This debate will divide Quebecers,” he said.
The language charter, adopted 36 years ago Monday, gave prominence to French in the province but was unpopular with non-francophone Quebecers.
Legault said the comparison by Marois of the values charter with the language charter was “a bit exaggerated,” suggesting that the motivation of the PQ, which is lagging in the polls, is political.
In addition to favouring a limited ban on religious signs, the CAQ, the thirdlargest party in the National Assembly, favours a charter of secularism.
Legault said the PQ’s proposed charter of values is misleading because it would not include all Quebec values.
The CAQ’s secularism charter would affirm the equality of men and women,
“The charter we propose will bring people together.”
PAULINE MAROIS
and Legault said he would use the notwithstanding clause in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms to override fundamental human rights if necessary in order to affirm that equality of the sexes trumps freedom of religion.
He said he recognizes there would be a legal problem affirming that the equality of women and men takes precedence over other rights, such as freedom of religion, but hopes the CAQ’s new charter, protected by the notwithstanding clause, would accomplish that goal.
Quebec’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms lists a series of rights, including the equality of women and men, but is based on the legal principle that no right takes precedence over others.