Anglophones protest PQ's plan to boost Bill 101
Party leader promises 'more coherent and more ambitious' bill
CBC News
Posted: Sep 1, 2012 12:38 PM ET
Last Updated: Sep 1, 2012 4:04 PM ET
Pauline Marois said she would strengthen Quebec's language law within her mandate's first hundred days. (The Canadian Press)
Related
Related Stories
Members of Montreal's anglophone community are preparing a protest in front of Quebec's National Assembly to oppose the Parti Québécois intentions to reinforce the language law, Bill 101.
According to an event page on Facebook, a similar protest is also planned for 2 p.m. in downtown Montreal, at the corner of Sherbrooke and Strathcona streets in the anglophone enclave of Westmount.
PQ leader Pauline Marois promised to strengthen the province's language laws within the first 100 days of her mandate, if her party is elected to power on Sept. 4.
The bill was originally adopted in 1977 to reaffirm that Quebec's common language is French.
At the campaign's beginning, Marois said a PQ government would adopt a newer version of Bill 101 that would be "stronger, more coherent and more ambitious." She added this bill would become a crucial part of Quebec's cultural identity.
The charter would require all businesses that employ 11 or more employees to use French in all staff communications. The current law applies to businesses with more than 50 workers.
The PQ said it would "definitely" close bridging schools — private institutions to which anglophone students can go before transitioning to English public schools. Marois said the situation is "intolerable."
The party also wants to stretch the language bill to CEGEPs, trade schools and adult education centres.
Quebec's French language authority would also be given more power to apply the existing rules to signs.
Marois tries to reassure anglos
Marois, though, is still trying to placate the province's anglophone community, which is on edge about the possibility of a PQ government rising to power on Tuesday.
The PQ leader was faced with an unhappy anglophone resident during a campaign stop outside Montreal Saturday.
An English school board member confronted Marois about the PQ plan to put limits on who can attend English junior college.
Marois, who is leading in the polls ahead of Tuesday's election, told the man they would find a way to work out the problem.
She later told reporters she wouldn't abandon Quebec anglophones but didn't divulge any specifics.
.
Share Tools
Quebec Election Results
Updated: Sep. 5, 2012, 1:58 AM EDT
| Party | Elected | Leading | Total | Vote Share (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PQ | 54 | 0 | 54 | 31.93 |
| LIB | 50 | 0 | 50 | 31.20 |
| CAQ | 19 | 0 | 19 | 27.05 |
| QS | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6.03 |
| ON | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.90 |
| GRN | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.00 |
All results are unofficial until final ballot counts are verified by Elections Quebec. CBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
My Election
Leaders & Parties
-
Jean Charest
Liberal Party
-
Pauline Marois
Parti Québécois
-
François Legault
Coalition Avenir Québec
-
Amir Khadir, Françoise David
Québec Solidaire
-
Jean-Martin Aussant
Option Nationale
-
Claude Sabourin
Parti vert du Québec
View 2008 election results »
Voter's Tool Kit »
Latest Quebec Votes 2012 Headlines
- Pauline Marois to become Quebec's 1st female premier
- Pauline Marois and the Parti Québécois claimed victory over the incumbent Liberals on Tuesday night, winning a minority government in an election night that ended with a deadly shooting. more »
- Liberal Leader Jean Charest concedes defeat
- Liberal Leader Jean Charest loses his seat, as his government was ousted from power during Tuesday's Quebec election. more »
- PQ Montreal victory rally shooting leaves man dead, 1 injured
- A man in his 40s was shot dead and another person was critically wounded close to where Pauline Marois was giving her victory speech to supporters before midnight, prompting a swift response from the Parti Québécois leader's security team and an evacuation of the downtown Montreal concert hall. more »
- Premier Jean Charest loses home riding of Sherbrooke
- Former Bloc Québécois MP Serge Cardin has defeated Liberal Leader Jean Charest in his home riding of Sherbrooke, a seat the Quebec premier has only narrowly held on to in past elections. more »
