English not a foreign language in Quebec, premier says

QUEBEC — Premier Philippe Couillard has admitted his government underestimated the negative impact the Bonjour-Hi debate would have on the Englishspeaking community.

And switching to English in a debate in the legislature, Couillard tried to patch things up by saying, in public, that English is not a foreign language in Quebec and should not be treated that way.

Answering a question from Parti Québécois leader Jean-François Lisée, who wanted to know how the government planned to follow up on a motion adopted last week urging merchants to drop their traditional Bonjour-Hi greeting and use just Bonjour, Couillard had a multi-pronged response.

Off the top, he said all Quebecers can be proud of what they have built together over many years and in the face of many obstacles.

“We are all proud of that, all Quebecers are proud of that,” Couillard said.

Then, switching to English in mid-stream, Couillard offered an olive branch to English-speaking Quebecers who in the last few days have expressed frustration and anger at seeing the legislature discourage the use of the word Hi in public.

“I also want to say to Englishspeaking Quebecers again, there are not different classes of Quebecers here, only one — that’s the first class,” Couillard said. “And English-speaking Quebecers are first-class Quebecers like all of us are.

“I also want to say and tell them that the English language, although French is our official language, the English language is not a foreign language in Quebec.”

Interestingly, Lisée said he agreed with Couillard’s statement but persisted, noting many members of the Liberal caucus are uncomfortable with the loss of the Bonjour-Hi and said they have no plans to act on the motions adopted unamimously last week.

Couillard did not address the caucus split directly but said, as he feared, the issue — which at one point he referred to as ridiculous — is making international headlines.

He said he’s heard the anger and frustration that poured out of the English-speaking community, but added the government has no plans to reverse its view that even anglophones should be using just Bonjour.

“I think we underestimated the impact it would have on our English-speaking compatriots,” Couillard told the House. “I am not talking about going back on this decision, but I want to say it in no way contradicts the equal and significant place of Englishspeaking Quebecers in Quebec.

“We have to restate this very strongly: Saying Bonjour is beautiful in all languages. Even in English, the word Bonjour is beautiful. It’s written on the taxis of Montreal, by the way. So I think we shouldn’t overreact to this question.”

His comments came a day after his minister for the Englishspeaking community, Kathleen Weil, argued just that and questioned the community’s emotional reaction to the motion.

Weil tried to downplay the controversy and claimed the motion was misunderstood by anglophones.

Couillard also received a letter this week complaining about the motion from Quebec Community Groups Network president James Shea. In the letter, the QCGN expresses its disappointment with the motion.

But Lisée wants to know what incentive program the government will put in place to respond to the legislature’s invitation.

Couillard said that, as far as he’s concerned, the legislature has gone far enough.