Legault sticks to plan on religious symbols
QUEBEC Despite the criticism of one of the Bouchard-Taylor report’s authors, Premier François Legault says the majority of Quebecers back his government’s plan to ban religious symbols for some authority figures.
Legault said Charles Taylor has the right to change his mind about the report he signed in 2008, but things have evolved considerably since then. Taylor’s view is the opinion of one man.
“We have to realize after the tabling of this report, support was quite large in Quebec,” Legault said at his first full news conference since being sworn in as premier Thursday. “That’s more important than the support of one person.
“What is important is how the Bouchard-Taylor report was received by the population. There was good support, wide support.
“I understand Mr. Taylor doesn’t support this report any more. It’s his choice, but still the population agrees with this.”
Legault was responding to comments Taylor made in an interview with the Montreal Gazette. Taylor slammed the Coalition Avenir Québec government’s plan to ban religious symbols for authority figures; judges, police officers, correctional officers and crown prosecutors.
The CAQ also wants to extend the ban to elementary, high school and CEGEP teachers, even if that was not part of the original recommendations of the BouchardTaylor report.
“Dangerous, appalling, divisive, destructive — choose your epithet,” Taylor said. “I mean it’s just a terrible mistake we’re moving into.
“In all societies, when a lot of people come in with unfamiliar cultures and so, people are nervous and afraid of it. They ’re not exactly sure what they ’re afraid of but they are. So you can appeal to them by saying, ‘ Well we’re going to put restrictions on them or stop them.’
“And (Legault) in fact is doing both — he’s saying we’re going to cut down on immigration in general and the especially worrisome people we’re going to put limits on.”
Legault, however, said that while the CAQ plan goes beyond what Bouchard-Taylor recommended, that is what the party campaigned on so there has been no deceit.
“We have debated this a lot,” Legault said. “I think there’s a consensus in Quebec. Our position was very clear in the election campaign. We will put this in place.
“It’s him who changed his mind. He signed this report. When I talk about our proposals, usually I don’t talk about the Bouchard-Taylor report because we changed it. We want to add teachers to our proposal so it’s a different proposal.”
Legault repeated a number of times that while he is open to discussions, the CAQ’s vision has not changed on this issue. The same goes for the crucifix hanging over the speaker’s chair in the National Assembly, Legault noted. The CAQ considers that cross a historical artifact and it will stay.
“Our position is clear,” Legault said. “The crucifix will stay.”
Legault also announced the National Assembly will be recalled Nov. 27. His government plans to present a number of bills — including the one on secularism — before Christmas. The session is expected to last only a few weeks. Legault said he is determined to increase the legal age to consume cannabis from 18 to 21, which also requires a bill.
Finance Minister Éric Girard plans to present an economic update before the holiday break. Legault promised to reform Quebec’s system for compensating victims of natural disasters.
On Friday afternoon, Legault visited the city of Gatineau, which was ravaged by tornadoes in September. He announced that Quebec has donated $2 million to the Red Cross to help care for the people who are still staying in hotels and need help.
He said he has ordered Quebec’s new Public Security Minister Geneviève Guibault to prepare a new program that will eliminate bureaucratic delays, which can drag on for years for victims. He said some victims of 2017 flooding will be waiting until 2019 for compensation. “That means two and a half years,” he said. “You can imagine the stress of people who have been wiped out or have lost a good part of things they have spent a lifetime accumulating.
“For me this is unacceptable.”