It’s OK to speak English during crisis: Legault
Premier François Legault says he went over and above what was legally required of him to communicate with English-speaking Quebecers in their language during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
At a committee to examine the spending budget of the ministry for relations with the English community Thursday, Jacques-cartier MNA Gregory Kelley asked if the premier intends to continue with the policy in the event of a second wave. Legault said it is likely.
“There are laws and regulations which exist,” Legault said. “Given the emergency of the pandemic, the exceptional situation (we were in), we chose to go further than what is foreseen in the laws and regulations.
“Will we do it in a second wave? It depends on the magnitude of the second wave. The laws and regulations will be applied.
“In this case, we chose to send documents (in English); I chose to add a section in English during my press briefings even if it was not required by the laws and regulations.
“If ever there was another emergency of the magnitude we saw this spring, we will redo it, but it will be on a case-by-case basis.”
In his question, Kelley noted it was then-liberal interim leader Pierre Arcand who suggested to Legault that he add some English to his widely followed opening remarks during pandemic news conferences.
Kelley also noted that some Quebecers, especially vulnerable older ones without internet access, needed English information — including English documents — to understand and take steps to protect themselves.
Legault’s first news conference during the pandemic was on March 12. He added the English passage to his remarks a week into the briefings, on March 20.
“I want to say a few words in English for our fellow anglo Quebecers,” Legault said in his opening remarks at that news conference.
It was shortly after that the government also started publishing its pandemic information documents in English. Initially online, they were later printed and sent out to English-speaking Quebecers who said they had no internet.
There were complaints the process was slow, Kelley told Legault, asking if the premier will issue a clear directive for the future.
Meeting reporters later, Kelley said he was happy with Legault’s openness but will keep an eye on the results.
“I would prefer to hear the premier say that he told the machine to do things differently and issue a clear directive,” Kelley said. “But we’ll hold him to his word. It’s a bit wait-and-see.”
Thursday was the second day in a row that Legault faced questions about his handling of the pandemic, which has killed more than 5,700 people in Quebec.
His sit-down to discuss the English-speaking community is an annual event. Besides being premier, Legault is also minister responsible for relations with the English-speaking community.
It was at this event last year that Legault conceded his government’s closing of Riverdale High School could have been handled better.
This year the focus was on the pandemic, with Legault conceding the government could have moved faster to produce English education content for stay-at-home teaching. He said the government acted as quick as it could.
“You understand under the circumstances we did not have time,” Legault said.
But he was unwavering on his government’s intention to apply Bill 40, replacing school boards — including English ones — with service centres. The government is appealing a court ruling that put the English school board reforms on ice.
Legault said his government already compromised enough in allowing the English system to keep electing commissioners.
Kelley also asked Legault whether his government would submit to a vote on Kelley’s Bill 590, which would make free French-language training available to anglophones. The government has not acted on the idea.
Legault made no real commitment.
“I want to congratulate you,” Legault said to Kelley. “I think it’s an excellent bill.”