MONTREAL, QUEBEC – The entry of Pablo Rodriguez into the leadership race for the Quebec Liberal Party (QLP) signals a definitive public acceptance by the QLP of their support for Bill 96.
“The QLP has always been pro-Bill 96. Mr. Rodriguez is a talented politician, but he is one of the federal architects of the acceptance of Bill 96, its use of the Notwithstanding Clause, and its incorporation into the new federal Official Languages Act, Bill C-13.,” stated Colin Standish, CaPQ co-Leader.
“Denis Coderre, another former federal and municipal politician, supports Bill 96 and the university tuition hikes. Will the QLP finally stop their ‘faux’ gesticulation when it comes to their sporadic and tepid criticism to parts of Bill 96, and finally admit: we support Bill 96 and would keep it in power?,” added Myrtis Fossey, CaPQ co-Leader.
“Of course, this would jeopardize their Montreal-area seats and those with non-francophone constituents,” added Fossey.
“Where do other declared QLP leadership candidates stand on Bill 96?,” asked Charles Roburn, CaPQ Special Advisor, referring to Frédéric Beauchemin, Charles Milliard, and Marc Bélanger.
“The QLP remains a resolutely pro-Bill 96 party: they voted for it, made it worse in committee, and would keep 98% of it if in government. Just check their 2022 platform (QLPPlatform),” added Roburn.
“The QLP needs to end their parody of protest to Bill 96: they proposed key aspects of Bill 96 before it was introduced (PLQNotreLangue), like the one-fourth of courses in English-language CEGEPs becoming French, which they have framed as a ‘mistake’. It was not a mistake, it was the deliberate application of QLP policy,” added Standish.
Standish and Fossey reiterated their challenge to the QLP Official Opposition:
“The CaPQ continues to call for the full repeal of Bill 96.
We challenge the QLP to actually propose a bill to repeal all or parts of Bill 96.
Except, they can’t: it would be against their nationalist ideology that includes not recognizing the 1982 Canadian Constitution and the Canadian Charter.”
About the CaPQ:
The Canadian Party of Quebec (CaPQ) offers a bold, forward-looking, federalist vision of Quebec to promote a renaissance to make the province a major economic, cultural, and linguistic rights hub of Canada and North America.
Contact information: Canadian Party of Quebec - Parti canadien du Québec info@particanadienquebec.ca www.canadianpartyquebec.ca