Quebec City –
Quebec Prime Minister François Legault may not have expected much of the consequences of Bill 96, but on Thursday he was struck by questions about Quebec’s independence.
Legault is not in favor of a new Quebec referendum, he has repeated several times.
“I don’t think the solution is to hold a referendum on sovereignty,” he said.
All morning during question period in the National Assembly, several opposition parties wanted to delve deeper into the idea, however, and into the Prime Minister’s response in Ottawa this week.
“Against the federal government, the prime minister is powerless,” said Joel Arseneau of the Parti Quebecois.
On Wednesday, the federal justice minister confirmed that the Liberal government will intervene when another controversial bill, Bill 21, reaches the Supreme Court.
Minister David Lametti also made it clear that he is not a fan of Bill 96, both personally and as a minister and MP. Represents the riding of LaSalle-Émard-Verdun.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also said this week that he is concerned about Bill 96, but also spoke about the importance of supporting French-speaking communities across Canada.
The PQ was not the only one to bend the pro-independence debate as a result of these comments.
“I have a simpler solution,” said Vincent Marissal of Quebec Solidaire.
“This is Quebec’s independence.”
Solidaire says it believes it is only a matter of time before Ottawa also becomes more formally opposed to Bill 96.
Legault responded publicly to Trudeau on Wednesday, but on Thursday told reporters he was not leaning toward separatism or a new referendum.
“There’s no will for that,” he said, adding that it looks like most Quebeckers will not vote “yes” under any circumstances right now.
A political analyst said he is not surprised.
“I don’t think François Legault wants to open this can of worms,” said David Heurtel.
Legault’s CAQ party has sidelined the separation debate before, he said, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t come out regularly.
“The possibility of a political environment where a referendum could be a political option could never be ruled out with 100 percent security. It cannot be completely ruled out,” he said.
But right now, politically speaking, Quebec is far from a new referendum, he said, despite the new emotions aroused by Bill 96.
Also, despite Legault’s anger, federal liberals are generally popular in Quebec, Heurtel said. And Ottawa’s response is not surprising either.
“While François Legault’s reaction is as expected in the federal announcement, the federal government has a right to intervene in these matters in court,” he said.
A factor that cannot be ignored: the Quebec elections, just a few months away, in which Legault will seek an even stronger majority.
The CAQ convention will take place this weekend in Drummondville, with the aim of kicking off the election momentum, and the theme of the weekend is “pride”.