Quebec's CAQ government tables 'integration' bill for new immigrants
Document lists values of Quebec culture, including French as common language, state laicity and equality
Immigration Minister Jean-François Roberge tabled Thursday a bill meant to distinguish the province's approach to newcomers from what Roberge called Canada's "vicious" multiculturalism.
Bill 84, laid out in a 12-page document called "An Act respecting national integration," includes a list of expectations for the Quebec state, Quebecers and new immigrants to Quebec. It aims to establish the province's integration model, which is inspired by the concept of interculturalism.
Roberge said Tuesday that the difference between interculturalism and multiculturalism is that the former creates "relations between people," whereas the latter "doesn't define a common culture."
The bill calls on new immigrants to learn French upon arrival in Quebec and to respect a set of values, including those enumerated in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
"This law reiterates that Quebec is a nation in its own right with a strong culture," Roberge told journalists Thursday. "As a nationalist government, we are therefore taking our responsibilities and making a strong gesture to protect our social cohesion, our way of living together, our identity."
The document defines Quebec culture as "characterized in particular by the French language, the civil law tradition, specific institutions, distinct social values, a specific history, and the importance given to equality between women and men, to the laicity of the State and to the protection of Quebec's only official and common language."
The bill commits Quebec to "foster the learning of French as well as the learning of democratic values," but does not specifically say the province has to provide French courses.
The bill also says the government would ensure organizations helping immigrants follow the bill and could remove funding to those that do not, although Roberge admitted to journalists Thursday there were not yet clear guidelines on how the province would enforce the bill.
In recent months, the province has cancelled hundreds of French courses due to funding issues. After Roberge announced on Tuesday that he would be tabling the bill this week, opposition parties were reluctant to show support given the province's struggle to meet francization demands.
Veronica Islas, who runs Carrefour de ressources en intercultuel, an organization helping immigrants in Montreal, said the proposed legislation's lack of clarity on how it would be implemented and why it was being created left her fearing it would have the adverse effect of alienating or "othering" people.
"Words have meaning and there's a difference between integration and inclusion," Islas said.
Roberge also defended himself on Tuesday from the idea that he was once again using nationalism to win back voting intentions.
"During our first mandate, we took the step of adopting Bill 21 when we were leading in the polls — and by a long, long shot — [and] we did the same thing with Bill 96," he said. "We are taking strong, identity-based actions to ensure the Quebec model, regardless of the polls."
The bill also says Quebec must facilitate "access to Quebec works, cultural content and heritage property, [enhance] them and fosters their discoverability."
The government recently announced a series of financial cutbacks at several cultural institutions, including the end of free entry to a number of museums on Sundays. A group called the Common Front for the Arts of Quebec has held protests amid calls for increased funding of arts and culture activities in the province. It has emphasized the importance of Quebec's national identity.
Written by Verity Stevenson