Province pledges anti-racism plan
But Legault reiterates his belief that Quebec doesn’t have systemic problem
The Legault government has committed itself to presenting a plan to fight racism and discrimination in the wake of the death of George Floyd in the United States.
Acting on a motion sponsored by the Québec solidaire opposition party, MNAS endorsed the principle of “fighting all forms of racism, discrimination and intolerance,” adding a call for a government plan as soon as possible.
The motion was adopted unanimously Tuesday, a few days after mostly peaceful marches across Quebec calling for justice for minorities in the wake of tragedies in the United States and Canada, including Montreal.
The motion does not bind the government to presenting a plan, but carries moral weight.
“Racism is not something innate,” Premier François Legault told the house. “It is transmitted, it is learned and schools have to serve as a part of the solution.
“All humans are equal, regardless of the colour of their skin, and we must continue to build our society based on this principle.”
Legault, however, showed no signs of backing away from his view that systemic racism does not exist in Quebec. He repeated his belief at his pandemic news conference earlier in the day and made further reference to it in the legislature.
“We must also combat racism because it exists,” Legault said in the house. “It’s important, however, to say: Quebecers are not racist, but there is still racism here as (exists) everywhere, and we must admit it and we must fight it.”
“Beyond words, we have to act.” Quebec, he said, needs to double its efforts to increase minority representation in the civil service.
And he said Quebec plans to send “clear directives” against racial profiling to all police forces when it tables a much-anticipated policy paper on public security reforms.
“There is no reason for a person to be arrested because of the colour of their skin,” Legault said. “But we have to avoid importing a confrontational climate like we see in the United States.”
He added that we shouldn’t condemn everyone who serves in the police force just because some individuals are racist.
The question of systemic racism roared to life in the legislature after Québec solidaire raised the issue in the morning.
Legault has faced criticism from community groups and activists who complained he was ignoring a reality for many minorities when he commented Monday on the situation in the United States.
“I don’t get what Mr. Legault is afraid of about that notion of systemic racism,” QS co-spokesperson Gabriel Nadeau-dubois told reporters. “You know, systemic racism seems like a big word, but it describes a very simple problem.
“In Quebec, right now, if you are part of a visible minority, it’s harder to get a job, it’s harder to find an apartment, but it’s easier to get arrested by police. That is systemic racism. It’s as simple as that.”
QS co-spokesperson Manon Massé said that, knowing Legault’s views, the party decided to leave the term “systemic racism” out of the motion to ensure it would be passed.
Massé, however, acknowledged the elephant in the room when she addressed the motion in the house.
“Mr. Speaker, I have been here six years,” she said. “It’s been six years that my colleagues hoped to fix a problem without being able to name it. It does not work.
“What is it if it is not systemic? Systemic does not mean systematic. It does not mean everyone. It means there is a system that tolerates this. What are we afraid of ? Why can’t we name the things we see before us which are as clear as day?
“This does not mean we can’t connect. We are not in the United States. We are in Quebec. We are able to talk to each other. But to do that, we have to be able to name things. Racism. Racial profiling.”
“Racism exists,” Liberal Leader Dominique Anglade added when her time came to speak. “It’s a fact. Marginalizing racism, avoiding talking about it because of the debate it sparks serves nobody.
“The first step towards healing is recognizing there is a problem, regardless of its scope,” added the Parti Québécois MNA for Gaspé, Méganne Perry Mélançon.
“If we look honestly in the mirror, we have to admit that racism and discrimination exist, including in Quebec.”
At his news conference, Legault tried again to explain himself.
“I don’t see a system, an organized system, in the police community or anywhere that is having discrimination as a system,” Legault said. “That’s it.”