QS wants to prevent adoption of proposed Quebec constitution

Québec solidaire (QS) has loudly stated that it wants to deploy “all parliamentary means at its disposal” to block the adoption of the draft Quebec constitution in the National Assembly.

Like the other opposition parties, the left-wing party voted against the tabling of the constitutional bill at the Red Room on Oct. 9^th.

The opposition parties particularly criticize the Minister of Justice, Simon Jolin-Barrette, for having drafted the constitution without conducting large-scale consultations.

Even though Jolin-Barrette finally expressed his support last week for holding a general consultation, QS believes that it is too little too late.

The party’s co-spokesperson and parliamentary leader, Ruba Ghazal, explained that she refused to endorse an “anti-democratic approach carried out without consulting the population or the opposition parties.”

In a statement released Monday morning, she argued that it is the duty and responsibility of opposition parties to “block the government when it makes such a mistake.”

“A constitution is, in a way, the birth certificate of people. We will never forgive the CAQ for having ruined that moment,” she declared.

“We already had a constitution imposed on us by the federal government in 1982, it’s not true that we’re going to have a second one imposed on us by the CAQ.”

QS co-spokesperson and parliamentary leader Guillaume Cliche-Rivard also believes that “the time for collaboration is no longer right.”

“It is unacceptable to miss the important date with history that is the adoption of a constitution simply because the CAQ wants to try to relaunch itself at the end of the regime,” he argued.

QS says it has sent a letter to the leaders of the Parti Québécois and the Liberal Party asking them to form a united front on this issue.

Even though the Coalition avenir Québec has a majority in the National Assembly, opposition parties can use several mechanisms to slow down the progress of a bill through the various stages of the parliamentary process.

With its draft constitution, the Legault government wants to prohibit organizations from using public funds to challenge laws considered fundamental to Quebec, such as Law 96 on the French language and Law 21 on state secularism. 

He also wants to strengthen equality between men and women and protect the right to abortion.

–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews