QUEBECERS VOTE FOR CHANGE

Premier-designate François Legault and his Coalition Avenir Québec have triumphed. They rode to a majority government on a wave of support from Quebecers tired of the Liberals and receptive to Legault’s portrayal of himself as a defender of Quebec’s predominant language and culture. For the first time in more than a half-century, Quebec will have a government that is neither Liberal nor Parti Québécois.

It was a bitter disappointment for the Couillard Liberals, who delivered on their promise to straighten out the province’s finances and unabashedly proclaimed that Quebec works best as part of the Canadian federation. It was an even more stinging defeat for the PQ. But although much is being made of Québec solidaire’s upsurge, federalists can take heart from the fact that even combined, those two sovereignist parties’ showing was relatively weak.

The new government inherits from the Liberals the blessing of a strong budgetary situation. Now, the ball is in the CAQ’s court to demonstrate that it can deliver better health care to citizens and make improvements to the education system. It will also be interesting to see how the new government proposes to help the economy create those well-paying jobs Legault was talking about.

But as the election-results map indicates, Quebecers have not all rallied to the CAQ, particularly English-speaking Quebecers, members of other minorities and Montrealers, not mutually exclusive categories.

The CAQ’s victory leaves many in the Englishspeaking community wondering whether to expect an uptick in language tensions. While no changes to language law are expected, Legault has fanned insecurities, and promised to appoint a commissioner to receive complaints

Premier Philippe Couillard deserves Quebecers’ gratitude.

at the Office québécois de la langue française. It is to be hoped that the good will that Legault showed by participating in the English debate will also extend to appreciating the newly created anglo Secretariat’s value to the community, and showing a sensitivity to minoritylanguage rights concerning school boards.

Immigration became a major issue in the election, and not to the CAQ’s credit. Now that Legault has had a chance to familiarize himself with the file, it is to be hoped he will think better of implementing his plan to cut immigration and require unreasonable and unnecessary values and language tests. And Ottawa seems unlikely to do his bidding and expel those who fail. Additionally, cutting immigration when jobs are going begging in some regions seems counterproductive. It would also threaten to erode Quebec’s demographic weight in Canada. Legault was right, though, to stress the need for Quebec to do a better job of integrating immigrants.

However, the CAQ has promised to ban the wearing of signs of religion for state employees wielding coercive authority, including teachers. That does the opposite of promoting integration of members of religious minorities, many Quebec-born, but among them many immigrants. Such a measure would violate religious freedom, and have a discriminatory impact on religious minorities for whom such signs are part of religious practice. Enacting such restrictions in a National Assembly where a crucifix hangs prominently would be the height of hypocrisy.

It is hard to escape the feeling that, after a period of relative calm, things are about to heat up, including in Quebec’s relations with Ottawa.

Premier Philippe Couillard deserves Quebecers’ gratitude.

Now, it’s up to Legault to show he can do better.