Quebec talking points at federal Liberal leadership debate: constitution, secularism law

Monday night’s French-language Liberal leadership debate in Montreal saw the four candidates asked questions specific to Quebec.

Mark Carney, Chrystia Freeland, Karina Gould and Frank Baylis squared off in the first of two back-to-back debates, with an English-language debate scheduled for Tuesday.

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In the second half of the debate, candidates were asked their position on the possibility of Quebec adopting its own provincial constitution.

The topic was raised after Quebec Premier François Legault floated the idea in November of adopting a provincial constitution that would boost Quebec’s authority over issues like immigration, language and secularism within the federation ahead of the province’s 2026 election.

Leadership race frontrunner Carney responded by highlighting the “big defeats for the French language” that he said Quebec has experienced over the past years, adding that francophone media outlets like Radio-Canada are “in peril.”

Former Deputy Prime Minister Freeland did not directly respond to the question posed about her position on the possibility of Quebec adopting its own constitution.

Instead, Freeland, who was involved in Canada’s response against Donald Trump during his first term, said the American president poses a threat to Canada’s “bilingual identity,” and that it’s more important than ever to support francophones and their access to services in their mother tongue.

“I am ready to support the French language and bilingualism across Canada,” Freeland said.

Former speaker of the House Gould also highlighted the need for the next prime minister to guarantee the protection of both francophones in Canada and anglophones in Quebec. However, she ended by saying there was only enough room for one constitution in the country.

“The Charter of Canada is the Charter of Canada,” Gould said.

Businessman and former MP Baylis took aim at Quebec’s charter of the French language, also known as Law 14, formerly Bill 96. He said the language law infringes on Quebecers’ ability to access Canada’s two official languages, adding the legislation is “discriminatory against francophones” who wish to learn English.

“The French language is part of my identity,” Baylis added.

Quebec’s Bill 21

On Quebec’s secularism law, known as Bill 21 — which prohibits some public-sector workers such as teachers and police officers from wearing religious symbols on the job like a hijab, turban, or cross — all four candidates were opposed to it.

Baylis, who is also co-president of the group “Non à la loi 21,” called it a discriminatory law that he’s been fighting since it’s been implemented.

Repeating part of her answer on the constitution topic, Gould said the Liberal Party is the party of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and that her job as prime minister would be to defend Canadians.

“Quebecers themselves are taking this issue to the Supreme Court, and Quebecers themselves are fighting this law. In government I will support them to ensure every Canadian in this country has access to their rights and freedoms,” Gould said.

READ: Bill 21: Supreme Court will hear legal challenge of Quebec secularism law

Freeland echoed Gould’s comments about the Charter, adding “now’s not the time for bickering within our country.”

She says Canadians are more united than ever as a bilingual country that supports francophones and linguistic minorities.

Carney also said he agreed with Gould, adding he fully supports the tradition of secularism in Quebec but “we need to have reasonable accommodations.”