PQ youth wing rejects two proposals

‘HOT POTATOES’

VICTORIAVILLE, QUE. • The Parti Québécois’ youth wing stood by their leader Sunday, rejecting two controversial proposals on religious accommodation and the French language.

Tempers flared Sunday morning at the Parti Québécois National Youth Committee Congress, which rejected the idea of banning the wearing of religious symbols for all employees in the public and para-public sectors during their working hours.

The hundred or so young Péquistes were more divided on the proposal to apply Bill 101 at the collegiate level, an idea that had been defended by the PQ during the reign of Pauline Marois, but which was recently abandoned by the PQ’s new leader, Jean-François Lisée.

“At the moment, we decided to postpone independence, we decided to go “mollo” (easy) on the identity debate. A party must have a trademark to win and stand out from its opponents. If we go back on language, what will be the Parti Québécois’ brand in 2018?” said Olivier Lacelle, a young delegate from the Montreal region.

Others stressed the importance of better integrating immigrants who did not necessarily attend school in French before.

Some young PQ members argued that this measure could harm the party “on the road to victories.”

“We have some hot potatoes that we could possibly avoid. We’re talking about a clause that is relatively minor,” stressed Julien Levac.

Valerie Costanzo, an anglophone activist, invited the members to defeat the resolution so that the PQ wouldn’t move away from the English-speaking community.

“Anglophones are among you, are among us and are members of the Parti Québécois,” she said to applause.

Young Péquistes were very divided on the issue. Voting by secret ballot was proposed, but the idea was rejected because of time constraints.

On the other hand, only about 15 people had supported the proposal to ban the wearing of visible religious symbols for all public and para-public employees, a measure that consisted essentially of taking up the controversial aspects of the Marois government’s charter of values.

“This proposal, in my opinion, is not secularism. It is in a certain way, playing the racist game. Who is going to join the Parti Québécois with this proposal?” said Laurent Constantin, who was booed for using the word “racist.”

“We are Quebecers first and foremost. It is in this way that we will succeed in including all Quebecers in society, regardless of their origin,” said Nicolas Turcotte, of the Laurentians Association, who put forward the proposal for the congress.

Marc-André Bouvette, the new president of the PQ’s National Youth Committee, and Ariane Cayer, the outgoing president, spoke out against the proposal.

“People are fed up ... and here we bring it up again? ” Cayer said.