A SHARING OF IDEAS
Premier François Legault, right, met conservative leader andrew scheer on thursday in quebec city and discussed immigration and religious symbols. Philip Authier reports.
QUEBEC The new government has put off until spring promised legislation that would ban authority figures from wearing religious symbols.
But in announcing the decision, Premier François Legault says he still believes such rules will help put an end to divisions in society caused by a lack of clear indicators on what is and is not acceptable.
“I think we will run short of time to do it (the bill) before Christmas,” Legault said at a news conference Thursday following his first official meeting with the mayor of Quebec City, Régis Labeaume.
“We’ll probably wait to table it in the spring.”
The National Assembly resumes sitting Nov. 27 for what will be a two-week sprint before the Christmas break.
Legault has hinted strongly he will focus for now on legislation putting more money in the pockets of Quebecers and a bill increasing the legal age to consume pot from 18 to 21, but it is his first clear indication on the timing of the contentious bill on symbols.
Until now he had suggested it would be among his first pieces of legislation because he wanted to settle the issue quickly.
But Legault was asked whether Quebec should be wading into the divisive issue of religion and secularism at all given the current polarized climate and following the attack on the synagogue in Pittsburg which left 11 people dead.
“I am profoundly convinced that in putting in place a framework saying we ban religious signs but only for people in authority positions … in doing so we stop giving arguments for racism,” Legault told reporters at a news conference held at the Quebec City aquarium.
Asked directly if he thinks the timing is bad, he replied, “I think the opposite. In putting in place a framework it helps to make sure we don’t give arguments to people who want us to ban religious signs for all civil servants or all public places. I think that’s the best way to go.”
Legault was sticking to his government’s plan to slash the number of immigrants coming into Quebec from 52,000 a year to 40,000 starting in 2019.
He downplayed signals from Ottawa that it is reluctant to play ball on the reduction and allow Quebec to impose French and values tests.
Legault said he did not get that signal during his meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Armenia for the Francophonie Summit.
To that end, he announced Quebec Immigration, Inclusion and Diversity Minister Simon JolinBarrette will soon meet his federal counterpart to work out the mechanics of the changes.
Legault made the comments standing beside Labeaume, with whom he has a less-than-chummy relationship. The mayor’s point of view is that Quebec City needs more immigrants to cope with the chronic labour shortage. He has said his city needs an additional 5,300 qualified workers a year.
There are similar needs in other regions of Quebec, especially Sherbrooke, where a recruiting drive is being held this weekend.
But as was the case when Legault met with Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante, Labeaume was careful not to publicly criticize the premier.
Instead, they vowed to work closely together on other projects of mutual interest in the capital region including easing traffic congestion in a city that is hooked on cars.
Labeaume said Thursday he now agrees a possible additional river crossing between Quebec City and Lévis might have to be built according to the CAQ government’s preference and not his. That means to the east of Quebec and not in the west, as Labeaume wanted.
“The premier was elected, he was elected on this, we have to respect this,” Labeaume said. “That’s democracy.”
Considered close to the former Liberal regime, Labeaume’s attitude may have changed because most of the ridings in and around his city voted CAQ.