Liberal leader Charles Milliard refused to state whether he would support renewing the notwithstanding clause for QUÉBEC’s French language charter, facing a direct political test from the provincial government.
Pascal Bérubé Demands Votes as Loi 96 Creates Business Uncertainty
- QUÉBEC’s Minister of the French Language Pascal Bérubé demanded an explicit yes or no vote from opposition parties regarding the five-year renewal of the notwithstanding clause for Loi 96.
- A November poll by Pallas Data indicates the Parti québécois leads with 31% of voting intentions, closely followed by the Parti libéral du Québec at 28%.
- Business leaders face lingering uncertainty as Loi 96 broadened language requirements to small and medium-sized enterprises with 25 to 49 employees and federally regulated firms.
The Parliamentary Showdown Over Language Legislation
Arriving at the foyer of the National Assembly of QUÉBEC for the opening of the Parti libéral du Québec’s presessional caucus, Charles Milliard addressed reporters on Wednesday regarding the contentious language dossier. The debate centers on whether the notwithstanding clause should require mandatory five-year renewals to protect the sweeping language reform adopted in May 2022.
“La clause dérogatoire peut être utilisée par le Parti libéral du Québec si nécessaire. On n’hésitera pas à le faire. Mais moi, je veux savoir qu’est-ce que le Parti québécois a dans le ventre pour la protection du français dans cette législature,” said Charles Milliard, leader of the official opposition.
In English comments outside the caucus room, Milliard asserted that the Parti québécois was attempting to deliver a curveball because it feels it is losing ground due to internal improvisation.
Bérubé Insists on a Yes or No Vote for Loi 96
The legislative confrontation was initiated earlier in the day by the Minister of the French Language, Pascal Bérubé. Bérubé asserted that the government intends to renew the constitutional override to shield the legislation, leaving no room for parliamentary ambiguity.
“On vote en faveur ou on vote contre. Il n’y a pas de troisième voie, puis il y a une seule langue officielle, c’est le français. Alors là, il y a un test pour M. Milliard. Est-ce que le Parti libéral veut protéger la loi 96 et la loi 101 ou pas? C’est oui ou c’est non. Et là, il y a un test,” said Pascal Bérubé, Minister of the French Language.
Milliard pushed back against the administration’s timeline and framing of the issue. “Il n’y a pas de oui ou non sur une discussion de corridor que M. Bérubé a décidé qu’elle serait à l’ordre du jour,” Milliard told.
| Political Party | Recent Election Vote Share | November Polling Intentions |
|---|---|---|
| Parti québécois (PQ) | 28% | 31% |
| Parti libéral du Québec (PLQ) | 24% | 28% |
Parti Québécois Leads as Milliard Convenes Liberal Caucus
The political maneuvering occurs against a backdrop of shifting voter alignment in the province. Data published in November by Pallas Data shows the Parti québécois leading with 31% support, while the Parti libéral du Québec captures 28% of voting intentions following a drop by the Coalition avenir Québec.
Following his remarks to the press, Milliard met with 39 Liberal members of the legislature to launch a multi-day caucus running through Friday.
“Ici, dans cette salle-là, on va parler des vraies priorités des Québécois, l’économie, la santé, l’éducation et l’habitation. Si vous voulez parler de sujets futiles, de sujets qui ne font pas avancer le Québec, c’est l’autre salle à côté,” Milliard told, contrasting his caucus’s focus with the government’s agenda.
