Bill 62 stirs heated debate in National Assembly

Justice Minister Stéphanie Vallée proposed amendments to Bill 62 during a parliamentary commission on Tuesday.

According to the new draft, municipalities, metropolitan communities, the National Assembly and public transport organizations would need to conform to the bill if it were adopted.

The controversial legislation was first tabled in 2015 and would bar individuals from providing or receiving public services if their faces are covered. The Coalition Avenir Québec and Parti Québécois have criticized the Liberals for making exceptions in the name of reasonable accommodations.

Therefore, the Liberal government’s proposed amendment to the bill addresses the conditions under which reasonable accommodation would be allowed.

“We cannot say that no accommodation is possible,” Vallée said during a press conference held at the National Assembly on Tuesday. “We can’t do that without violating the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.”

A demand for reasonable accommodation for cases involving religious rights would be treated if: It is serious;

It respects gender equality; It respects government religious neutrality;

If it is reasonable, meaning that it doesn’t impose any excessive constraints on individuals and takes into consideration the rights of the other parties involved, their health and security, the proper functioning of an organization, and the costs related to it.

In response to questions about whether a person would be rejected if he or she is fully covered upon visiting a public library or taking public transport, Vallée refused to provide answers, saying it would take all afternoon to answer them.

Vallée said she will focus on specific situations if the amendments are adopted.

The minister of justice believes that if the proposed amendments were added to the draft legislation, all parties would be able to reach a consensus.

However, opposition parties clearly did not feel the same way, proposing their own amendments to the draft legislation on Tuesday. The PQ proposed that “a state employee should not be allowed to wear a chador, niqab or burka while working, since these represent symbols of oppression that go against gender equality.”

This amendment echoed draft legislation proposed by former Liberal deputy Fatima Houda-Pepin. The CAQ also proposed the same amendment.

“We are not afraid of words,” PQ spokesperson Agnès Maltais said. “The current bill allows for all types of accommodations, with a few exceptions. If the bill is not modified, the law will put Quebec behind.”