An election agenda for anglophones

Attention is welcome, but more must be done, Geoffrey Chambers writes.

Monday’s first-ever Englishlanguage televised leader’s debate was a watershed moment and evidence of a heightened willingness across Quebec’s political class to reach out to Englishspeaking Quebecers in their own language. It also signalled acknowledgment by all parties that none can afford to ignore our community of more than one million.

The Parti Québécois promise of no referendum in a first mandate is openly linked to a policy agenda geared to achieving sovereignty within the decade. There is also a progressive but unrestrainedly sovereigntist Québec solidaire electoral pitch. The Coalition Avenir Québec platform has core education and immigration planks that are not tuned to the needs of our community.

Over the second half of his mandate, Liberal Premier Philippe Couillard began to respond to long-held demands of many English-speaking organizations, including the Quebec Community Groups Network. Last November, his government launched a Secretariat for Relations with English- Speaking Quebecers, an entity we are pleased to note the leaders of all four main parties have pledged to maintain.

The secretariat is a device to open up the operations of the provincial administration to the English-speaking community. It needs to be a channel of policy input into all government ministries and an agent acting to open up the civil service to participation and employment of members of our community.

It’s the first time the English-speaking community has received such attention. While welcome, and gratefully acknowledged, it is also long overdue. Too often, English-speaking Quebecers have been forced to rely on volunteers and agencies run on a shoestring for services elsewhere provided in French by government agencies and public sector staff. It is not sustainable, and it is not acceptable.

English-speaking Quebecers who tuned in to the debate were listening closely for commitments on access to quality health care and social services in English. But the agenda includes other important issues, like education. A Liberal government plan to abolish school boards was withdrawn after forceful opposition from our community. English-language schools ensure the vitality and survival of our community. Elected school boards are an essential pillar of local democracy.

Protecting English schools should be part of a strategy to encourage young Quebecers to remain in Quebec and contribute to building its future. At present, far too many English-speaking university graduates leave the province. This loss of talented human capital in which Quebecers have invested is all the more damaging given the province’s current shortage of skilled workers and professionals. While we applaud efforts to attract and integrate skilled immigrants, more must be done to make English-speaking Quebecers feel that their native province wants them to stay.

The government could lead this effort by opening the ranks of the public service. More than a million Quebecers speak English at home — about 13 per cent of the population. But Englishspeaking Quebecers account for less than one per cent of public service staff and public sector workers. This is inequitable and unrepresentative. It also explains why access to public services in English is so unreliable. We urge the leaders to commit to ensuring that Quebec’s public service reflect the proportion of English-speaking citizens.

Diversity is Quebec’s social reality. It is also the very essence of Quebec’s Englishspeaking community. For the most part, English-speaking Quebecers have learned French as a second or third language. Ensuring that the public sector, and also businesses, reflect our community is simply a winning practice that delivers positive results, growth and development that will benefit all Quebecers.

That is also true for political parties seeking votes. In 27 ridings, more than 20 per cent of voters are Englishspeaking, and they represent more than 10 per cent of the voters in another 19 ridings. These votes can make the difference, especially in close races. Many will be decided by the way the party leaders address these vital issues. Geoffrey Chambers is president of the Quebec Community Groups Network, which brings together 57 English-language community organizations across Quebec. Visit qcgn.ca to read the QCGN’s election agenda.