PQ plans to ban wearing of religious symbols for elementary school students, if they come into power

By Thomas Laberge, The Canadian Press

If the Parti Québécois (PQ) forms the next provincial government after the October 2026 general election, it has pledged to ban “ostentatious” religious symbols for elementary school students.

The PQ say they consulted its members in recent weeks to find out whether they agreed with this proposal; 90 per cent said they were in favour.

PQ members also voted in favour of banning street prayers (95 per cent) and prayers in schools “that receive state funding, from elementary to college” (96 per cent).

The participation rate was 55 per cent.

“The least we can say is that this gives us a clear direction (…) and it means that if Quebecers decide to trust the PQ to form the next government in a year, these will be our guidelines,” explained PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon.

He unveiled the results of this consultation at a press briefing on Thursday at the National Assembly at the end of his party’s pre-session caucus.

It should be noted that the Legault government has already announced its intention to ban street prayers. It will legislate on this issue in a bill that will aim more broadly to strengthen secularism in Quebec.

–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews

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