A prominent Parti Québécois strategist told the Bouchard-Taylor commission Monday that only an independent Quebec could protect the French language, something he said Bill 101 has failed to do.

"It is because we are in a sea in English that we must use to the maximum...instruments that we can to transform Quebec into a French society," said Louis Bernard, a former PQ leadership candidate who previously had been chief of staff to former premier René Lévesque.

He was speaking at the controversial Quebec commission on reasonable accommodation of ethnic and religious minorities, which returned to Montreal Monday for its final hearings.

Bernard said Quebec needs more immigrants. But he added that it's also important to ensure those immigrants integrate into francophone culture.

He said Quebec could be a more open society if it was independent, because it could make stronger laws to protect the French language.

Quebec Premier Jean Charest announced the hearings on the reasonable accommodation of immigrants last winter after an often bitter, public debate on their religious practices.

The men leading the commission have defended the hearings as a necessary exercise to move the debate ahead on the place of immigrants in the province.

Commission created in response to 'great need'

Philosopher Charles Taylor and sociologist Gérard Bouchard issued a statement recently saying the commission was created in response to a "great need," and it would have been foolhardy not to hold hearings about immigrants in modern Quebec.

At a workshop held in conjunction with the hearings on Sunday, organizers were surprised to hear from some French-speaking immigrants to Quebec who said their inability to speak English is preventing them from finding work.

"Why am I supposed to speak both languages if it's a French country," said Habib Diab, who immigrated from Lebanon. He said immigrants are not warned that they should know English before coming to Quebec.

"There is a contradiction between what we say and what is the reality into which immigrants are coming," said workshop organizer Michel Vennes.

A Moroccan-born immigrant, Samiri Laouni, came to Quebec with a PhD, having taught at a university in France.

When she arrived in Quebec, she said, she was surprised how much her ability to speak English mattered to every employer who interviewed her.

"It's very difficult for me to [discover] that if I am not bilingual — perfectly bilingual — I cannot do anything."
Laouni is now self-employed.

"My English is not very well, as you see. But I try to do my best," she said.