Quebec election: Parti Québécois pledges new Bill 101 to fight ‘steep decline’ of French

The Parti Québécois is pledging a revamped and stronger model of the landmark French-language constitution throughout the first 100 days if it types the subsequent provincial authorities because the Quebec election marketing campaign entered its first full day.

Paul St-Pierre Plamondon made the vow through the first full day of the Quebec election marketing campaign on Monday, saying there may be an urgency to behave and battle the “steep decline” of French.

“It’s not the time for half-measures and never for half-truths,” the chief of the celebration, which advocates for the independence of Quebec from Canada, informed reporters.

The French-language constitution is called Invoice 101, which was first handed into legislation in August 1977 by the René Lévesque authorities. The laws was created to guard and bolster the language within the province whereas additionally paving the way in which to finish the dominance of English. It overhauled the linguistic make-up of Quebec, and it has been extensively hailed and criticized for greater than 40 years.

The Parti Québécois argues that the Coalition Avenir Québec authorities’s current language legislation, generally known as Invoice 96, doesn’t go far sufficient to safeguard the French language and tradition. St-Pierre Plamondon mentioned the CAQ has failed Quebecers.

He particularly pointed to how the proportion of people that primarily converse French at residence continues to say no in almost all provinces and territories, together with Quebec, based on the newest census launch.

“Within the quick time period, there’s a risk to the Quebec folks to see their language disappear little by little,” St-Pierre Plamondon mentioned.

St-Pierre Plamondon mentioned he needs to see the constitution be expanded to the province’s junior faculties, generally known as CEGEPs. Doing so would forestall non-anglophone college students from attending English-language CEGEPs. Because it stands, Invoice 101 is proscribed to elementary and secondary ranges, the place francophone and allophone college students should attend French-language faculties.

Except for the training system, the PQ additionally needs stricter measures for companies and immigrants, advocating that newcomers ought to have already got mastered French earlier than arriving in Quebec.

St-Pierre Plamondon mentioned Invoice 101 ought to be utilized to federally regulated corporations. The PQ would additionally nix the bilingual standing of municipalities the place anglophones make up lower than 33 per cent of residents.

“These measures are necessary as a result of they’ve structural impression on using the French language and thus have the capability to reverse the decline,” St-Pierre Plamondon mentioned.

Otterburk Park, a metropolis in Longueuil on Montreal’s south shore, can be one municipality to lose its bilingual standing underneath the PQ’s plan. The final census reveals solely 5.7 per cent of residents primarily converse English at residence, however the mayor mentioned it’s necessary to supply companies to everybody.

“The English-speaking inhabitants is essentially made up of seniors,” Otterburn Park Mayor Mélanie Villeneuve mentioned.

“With a view to offering high quality service, significantly to extra weak teams of individuals, the council believes that you will need to be capable to talk with anglophone residents within the language of their selection.”

St-Pierre Plamondon mentioned his celebration would make exceptions for weak folks.

The chief of the PQ, who can also be vying for his first seat within the provincial legislature, made the pledge to toughen the constitution in entrance of a bust of Camille Laurin. St-Pierre Plamondon mentioned it was applicable to make the announcement there, because the late PQ minister Laurin is taken into account the daddy of Invoice 101.

The promise additionally comes because the PQ seems to be to bolster its presence on the nationwide meeting this upcoming election as current polls positioned the celebration in fifth place. As soon as a powerhouse within the province, the celebration solely had seven members within the legislature firstly of the election marketing campaign.

Voters head to the polls on Oct. 3.

— with recordsdata from International Information’ Gloria Henriquez and The Canadian Press