Civic rights, Bill 96 & courting Anglo voters: one-on-one with Conservative Leader Éric Duhaime

After four years under François Legault’s CAQ government, Quebecers head to the polls Oct. 3rd.

CityNews spoke to Éric Duhaime, the leader of the Conservative Party of Quebec.

You’ve been trying to win over English voters, particularly recently with your position against Bill 96, the CAQ’s new language reform. You’ve said that you will repeal it, but you’ve also said that it’s still important to protect the French language. So if you were elected, what would you replace it by?

We saw the statistics coming out lately that are showing a decline of French in Quebec. I looked at it carefully. I think we’re all cautious with that. We have to understand that, we think it’s important to keep the uniqueness of Quebec. That French is the common language. And I think Anglophones are our allies to protect that reality right now in Quebec. So the difference between François Legault and I, is that I don’t want to poke the English community. I don’t want to do anything against the English community. And, if the French is declining in Quebec, it’s not because of the English community. It’s because the Francophone majority is not able to attract enough immigrants who are coming to Quebec. And that’s where we would target our energies. I think we should make sure that we have more immigrants that are integrating to the French community. And that’s where we would work instead.

Anglophones in Quebec have historical rights. They’ve been there forever. They contribute tremendously to Quebec. And they understand that French is the common language. They’re actually proud and happy because of it. And they’re more and more bilingual. We also have to underline that. So I don’t understand why Mr. Legault is reacting the way he is. I’m very disappointed that, for example, he refused to have an English debate during this campaign. He accepted four years ago. Now, he doesn’t want to talk to one million Quebecers. It’s very unique in an election campaign. And as you probably know, I even spoke English during the French debate this week because I thought that it was important to talk to those people, even if Mr. Legault wants to deprive us from doing it.

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I do want to ask you about your immigration policy, because we have heard the CAQ saying during this campaign that immigration is a threat to the French language. Now, your party’s stance is that immigrants would be selected based on a “civilizational compatibility.” Can you explain how that would work, what does that mean?

It’s common ground. You know, like women and men are equal in Quebec. As you know, I’m an openly gay leader. The first in Canada’s history as a conservative. And I think it’s important that there are certain realities of Canada and Quebec that they need to know before they arrive. So there’s already an interview process and I just want to make sure that it’s underlined before they arrive. And the immigrants, if Mr. Legault thinks they’re violent and they’re a threat to Quebec, we’re in bad shape. We’re in trouble. Because we will need immigrants. Like it or not, Quebec society will decline otherwise. So we have an obligation to better integrate our immigrants, because otherwise there is no way if you think we’re going to be able to solve all the problems ahead of us with the decline of our population, it would be even worse. So the immigrants are also a positive impact to Quebec society. We just need to make sure that our language is also protected and promoted while we’re accepting more immigrants.

I want to speak to you about Bill 21. That’s been another contentious bill, particularly among allophones and Anglophones. It bars some public servants in positions of power, such as teachers, from wearing religious symbols. Now, you said that you are in favor of Bill 21, but a big message that we also hear from you is that you are against removing rights and freedoms from citizens. Doesn’t Bill 21 remove rights and freedoms from certain religious citizens such as Muslim women?

It depends which way you’re looking at it. Because as taxpayers, as citizens you we have a right to get services that are neutral from the state. I think that’s very important. So it’s the rights of the one against the rights of the others. I do believe in religious freedom. I think everybody has a right to protect their religious beliefs and there is no way we should interfere there. But when you’re acting as a public servant, you have to be neutral because that’s the state. You’re not interfering as an individual. You’re interfering as a representative of the state. And that’s where I see a difference. Especially if you’re in the position of authority, it’s even more important to do so. So I think it’s a good compromise and we should move on. It’s been very divisive. That debate I see that a strong majority of Quebecers are supporting that bill and that approach. And I don’t think anyone would win anything to reopen that can of worms.

Quebec Conservative Leader Éric Duhaime September 12, 2022 in Quebec City. THE CANADIAN PRESS / Jacques Boissinot

I want to talk to you a little bit more about rights and freedoms, because your party has gained in popularity quite drastically, much of that was during the pandemic. And you have been accused of using some anger from those against vaccine mandates, perhaps some of those who were involved in the movement that we saw on Parliament Hill, to gain some political popularity. What do you say to that? Was that your strategy?

It was not a strategy. It’s my beliefs. I decided personally to come back to politics when I saw the way they were managing the crisis. I’m someone who has always been involved to defend and promote democracy, civic rights, individual freedoms. I never thought I would live in a state where the government would deprive me from going to see my mom and have dinner with her one day or even go to my cottage or even for some coworkers to have the right to work with me. I’ve never thought that we would have to show papers to have the right to go to a restaurant. I mean, we went very, very far in terms of civic rights, individual freedoms over the last few years in Quebec. And I decided that, you know, I saw four political parties defending that approach and there was nobody voicing anything else. I didn’t know if it was popular or not, I didn’t do it by opportunism.

Actually, when I decided to run for the leadership of the party, we were at one per cent in the polls and we had 500 members. Now, today, we’re at 20 per cent in the polls and we have 60,000 members. I think it’s the strength of our beliefs that made us go up. It’s not by opportunism. And I decided to defend those who were concerned about it and who wanted to protect their basic rights.

That being said, it doesn’t mean the government has no right to impose certain things, but before it does it, it needs to prove without a doubt that they’re necessary. And it’s not been the case during the crisis. There was a lot of politics, and the science was often used by politicians more than promoted. And that really bugged me. Yes, we went up because there’s more people like me, I guess, who believe in individual freedom and in civic rights. But we certainly didn’t do it by opportunism.

Quebec Conservative Leader Éric Duhaime waves to supporters at his campaign launch rally, Sunday, August 28, 2022 in Quebec City. Quebecers are going to the polls for a general election on Oct. 3. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot

I want to hear you now on your party’s position on sovereignty, because we’ve heard two sides from you. In your political background, you did work for the Bloc Quebecois, you said that you would vote no in a referendum, but also that the door’s not shut to a referendum. So let’s clarify your stance on that.

Look, I don’t think there’s any appetite for any kind of referendum. I think it’s time to unite Quebecers. We’ve been divided on that issue for way, way too long. It’s time to unite Francophones and Anglophones also on linguistic feuds. Those feuds are of the past. I think we need to be allies together. Under my leadership, there would never be any kind of a referendum on separation. I’m not going to politics to have a referendum on politics. I’m going into politics because I want to improve the health-care system. I want to lower taxes. I want to give more freedom to people and respect their basic and civic rights.

Why should Anglophones trust you? Because we heard this from the CAQ four years ago. Mr. Legault was trying to get Anglophone votes and his tune has changed. So why should they trust you?

I think Anglophones should trust me because unlike Dominique Anglade and the Liberals, I didn’t betray you over the last four years. On Bill 96, they really flip flopped. They abandoned you because they were looking for more voters. They take you for granted. They took you for granted for way too long. Now, you have an opportunity to be courted by other people than the Liberals. Being hostage of one single party didn’t serve you over the last few years. It’s time for Anglophones to move on. There’s a new debate coming in Quebec. There’s a new split. Politically speaking, the Liberals and the PQ are both at less than 10 per cent right now among Francophones. We’re in a new political reality, and I want the English community to be part of that new reality and join the Conservative Party for those of you who are in the centre right.