English provincial debate cancelled after Premier Legault and PQ leader decline to attend
Posted May 13, 2022 5:57 pm.
Hours after Quebec Premier François Legault declined an invitation to participate in the only English provincial debate ahead of the planned fall election – as did the Parti Québécois leader – the debate was officially cancelled late Friday afternoon.
It had been set to take place September 20, and the general election set for October 3.
The Premier’s office said he had already committed to two French-language debates and wouldn’t t have time to add another.
In 2018, the heads of the four largest parties – including then-candidate Legault – participated in Quebec’s first-ever televised English language leader’s debate.
Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, PQ leader, tweeted Friday that the official and common language of Quebec is French. And that the party will be available to answer questions from Anglophone journalists after the two French debates.
Le Parti Québécois ne participera pas au débat des chefs en anglais. La langue officielle et commune au Québec est le français. Nous serons bien évidemment disponibles pour répondre aux questions des journalistes anglophones.
— Paul St-Pierre Plamondon (@PaulPlamondon) May 13, 2022
This comes as many in the English community feel that provisions of Bill 96, the province’s proposed reform of its French language law, will seriously impact the rights of all and inflict untold harm on Quebec’s English-speaking community.
Groups putting together a protest for Saturday said in a press release that, “it will reduce and restrict access to education, health care, justice, and government services in English.”
The May 14 rally is planned for 10 a.m. at Dawson College and will make its way to Premier Legault’s office at Sherbooke and McGill.
