Liberals’ Arcand says no to compromise on values
QUEBEC No sooner was the idea floated than it was shot down.
Interim Liberal leader Pierre Arcand Monday rapidly dispensed with the notion the party should venture down the path of banning religious symbols for persons in positions of authority like judges and police officers as a way to woo francophone voters.
It was potential Liberal leadership candidate and Montreal businessman Alexandre Taillefer who floated the idea just as the Liberals were arriving for their swearingin ceremony at the National Assembly.
“Mr. Taillefer has completed his mandate,” Arcand told reporters bluntly at a news conference following the ceremony. “Mr. Taillefer is not a persona non grata. All I am saying is the (Liberal) caucus has one opinion and Mr. Taillefer was expressing a personal opinion. One thing is certain, there will be no compromises in the fundamental values of our party.”
Taillefer, who acted as chairperson of the Liberals’ disastrous election campaign, set the cat among the pigeons as he rolled into the hallway before the swearing-in event.
“Listen, I think we need to ask questions about the religious symbols issue, definitely,” Taillefer told reporters when questioned on what the Liberals need to do to get francophone voters interested in the party.
“There have been discussions on the Bouchard-Taylor question. Do we need to find a compromise (in our position)? It’s something that’s going to the be on the table but it’s certainly not for me to judge.”
Officially, the Liberal position on the symbols issue is Bill 62. Adopted last June, the law says services must be delivered and received with no face coverings. it also includes a clause for possible accommodations if they are requested by an individual.
The Liberals at the time believed Bill 62 was as far as the party could go legally without violating personal religious freedoms. They said other options would have only sparked division and legal challenges.
Bill 62 is nevertheless being contested in the courts.
The Coalition Avenir Québec campaigned saying it wanted to re-visit the whole issue with plans to apply the 2008 Bouchard-Taylor formula, which would forbid judges, police officers and correctional officers from wearing religious symbols such as the hijab and kippa.
The CAQ would go one step further than Bouchard-Taylor and add teachers to the list as well.
The Liberals have always resisted the Bouchard-Taylor formula, with former Liberal leader Philippe Couillard once describing it as “clothing discrimination.”
The CAQ’s vision has sparked protests and there are signs social unrest, a point Arcand noted in his remarks after the 29-member Liberal caucus was sworn in as the official opposition.
“For those of you who are concerned by the results of this election, let me assure you that we will be there to make sure that this government respects your rights,” he said. “Quebec needs to remain a free and open society.
“We will not take you for granted. No matter what is your language or religion, we are all Quebecers.”
Later, Arcand said the Liberals will examine whatever bill the new CAQ government comes up with, but questioned the timing.
“I don’t understand why the CAQ considers this a priority matter in Quebec,” Arcand said. “For me the priority is the labour shortage.”
Later, Taillefer tried to clarify his comments in a tweet.
But his idea of compromising did not sit well with the Liberal caucus.
“We thought the compromise was Bill 62,” said the Liberal MNA for Saint-Laurent, Marwah Rizqy, arriving for the ceremony. “After examining precedents, we realize that it is about as far as you can go and protect individual rights and freedoms but also hear the concerns of the population.”
D’Arcy-McGee MNA David Birnbaum argued it is too soon to try to take a decisive position when the party has so much re-building to do. “I am a bit surprised that someone who was integral to our campaign, which frankly was a losing campaign, appears to have all kinds of answers already,” Birnbaum said.
The ceremony is the first of a series to be held this week. The CAQ’s 74 MNAs will be sworn in Tuesday followed by the 10 Québec solidaire MNAs Wednesday and the 10 Parti Québécois MNAs Friday.