Bill 96: Bérubé puts Quebec Liberal Leader Charles Milliard to the test

The notwithstanding clause could be used by the Quebec Liberal Party “if necessary,” said leader Charles Milliard, without specifying whether he would support the renewal of the notwithstanding clause in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms to protect Bill 96 on the French language.

Upon his arrival at the Quebec National Assembly, in preparation for the Quebec Liberal Party’s pre-sessional caucus on Wednesday, the leader of the Opposition was asked whether he intended to vote in favour or against a bill to renew the notwithstanding clause for Bill 96.

“The notwithstanding clause can be used by the Quebec Liberal Party if necessary. We will not hesitate to do so. But I want to know what the Parti Québécois has in store for the protection of French in this legislature,” Milliard said.

Speaking in English, the Liberal leader said the Parti Québécois was trying to send him “a curveball, because it feels that it’s losing the game because of all its improvisation.”

A “curveball” thrown by Pascal Bérubé

Earlier, the Minister of the French Language, Pascal Bérubé, had indicated that his party intended to renew the notwithstanding clause to protect Bill 96 and that he was therefore asking the oppositions to vote on the subject.

“We vote for or against. There is no third way, and there is only one official language, and that is French. So there’s a test for Mr. Milliard. Does the Liberal Party want to protect Bill 96 and Bill 101 or not? It’s yes or no. And there is the test,” said the PQ member.

“There is no yes or no on a hallway discussion that Mr. Bérubé has decided would be on the agenda,” the PLQ leader retorted.

The reform of Bill 101 — commonly known as “Bill 96” — was adopted by the National Assembly in May 2022. It subjects small- and medium-sized businesses with 25 to 49 employees and federally regulated businesses to the Charter of the French Language.

The notwithstanding clause, a mechanism that exempts a law from legal challenges and which, in this case, protects Bill 96, must be renewed every five years, and therefore in the coming months.

Bill 96 is controversial in English-speaking circles, particularly because it imposes a freeze on enrolment in English-language CEGEPs in addition to requiring that public services be provided in French to immigrants who have been in Quebec for more than six months.

Economy, health, education and housing

After answering questions from reporters in the lobby of the Quebec National Assembly, Milliard met with his 39 Liberal MNAs for the start of the party’s pre-sessional caucus, which continues until Friday.

“Here, in this room, we are going to talk about the real priorities of Quebecers, the economy, health, education and housing. If you want to talk about trivial subjects, subjects that do not move Quebec forward, this is the other room next door,” said the leader of the PLQ, referring to the new PQ government.

In addition, a poll released Wednesday indicates that the Parti Québécois and the Quebec Liberal Party are continuing their rise thanks to the difficulties of the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ).

According to this poll by Pallas Data, conducted in November, the PQ would obtain 31 per cent of voting intentions, followed by the PLQ at 28 per cent.

In the election a little over a month ago, the PQ won 28 per cent of the popular vote and the PLQ received 24 per cent of the vote.

This increase is largely explained by the CAQ’s decline of five percentage points.

Province-wide, 51 per cent of respondents say they are dissatisfied with the new government’s first steps, while only 24 per cent are satisfied.

–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews