What’s in the integration bill tabled by Quebec’s immigration minister?

The Quebec government has tabled legislation providing a framework for the province’s model for integrating immigrants.

Quebec City — The Coalition Avenir Québec wants to modify the provincial charter of rights to enshrine the integration of newcomers and move away from the Canadian multiculturalist model.

The bill tabled Thursday morning by Immigration Minister Jean-François Roberge is a “social contract” that would require newcomers and cultural minorities to embrace Quebec’s common culture. It specifically lists gender equality, secularism, the civil law tradition, “specific institutions, distinct social values and a specific history” as values to adhere to.

Newcomers are expected to learn the French language, enrich Quebec culture and “participate fully, in French, in Quebec society.” It also says Quebecers have a duty to collaborate in welcoming people from different backgrounds and foster integration.

Roberge said he is inspired by interculturalism, which he says creates “relations between people,” while multiculturalism “doesn’t define a common culture.”

“Quebec is a nation in its own right with a strong culture,” he said.

There are provisions in the bill to protect Quebec’s historic anglophone community and for the First Nations and the Inuit in Quebec to preserve and develop their languages and cultures.

The bill would require the government to develop a policy on integration into Quebec and its culture, touching areas like democratic values, access to Quebec cultural content and respect for the Quebec flag and other provincial emblems.

Roberge said he likes pairing and sponsorship approaches to immigration, for example.

Enforcement unclear

Quebec already has several laws outlining the importance of the French language — and recently passed language reform under Bill 96 — as well as secularism with Bill 21. The CAQ government also implemented a Quebec values test for all newcomers in its first term.

Roberge told journalists at a news conference he worked on the bill for a year-and-a-half, studying Canada’s 1971 multiculturalism law, which he said “made huge damage to the Quebec society.”

Roberge claimed multiculturalism has failed and created silos between communities. “We don’t want ghettos; we want a society, we want cohesion,” he said.

When asked how the bill would be enforced, Roberge did not provide details. He again pointed to the 1971 law which doesn’t include any penalties or sanctions but still transformed Canadian society.

He said it’s too early to give examples and precisions of how it will be enacted, “first we need to pass the bill,” but floated some ideas.

For example, forms of government financial assistance will have to be consistent with the new integration model.

He said cutting public funding to religious schools is on the table, which the CAQ voted against last October.

Roberge said government-funded daycares may have to review their admission criteria if “they’re admitting kids based on the ethnic or religious background of the parents.”

He also said cultural events might not have their grants renewed unless they conform to the spirit of the bill.

That could mean being open to the public, or having to include Québécois artists and Quebec content. Roberge did not clarify which festivals could be affected, but stressed that Quebec culture “is not just poutine.”

When asked, for example, what he expects to see at a Greek festival, Roberge answered “I don’t know.”

The immigration minister tried to push against the idea that the proposed law is rooted in anti-immigrant sentiment.

“Quebec culture is alive, it will change, people coming from all around the world, they add something, and we are open-minded that they can give something and improve our culture,” he said.

“When we have an agreement on those fundamental values people from around the world are welcome and we want them to be part of Quebec’s nation.”

Playing the ‘nationalism card’

When Roberge announced his intention to table Bill 84 earlier this week, Québec Solidaire co-spokesperson Ruba Ghazal accused the CAQ of “playing the identity and nationalism card” to save itself as it has been falling behind in polls.

Political analyst Raphaël Melançon said she hit the nail on the head. He said that, in practice, Bill 84 is largely symbolic and doesn’t change much.

With the CAQ trailing behind the Parti Québécois in polls a year and a half away from a general election, it’s trying to win back nationalist voters.

“They’re trying to go back to the roots of what have made their success in the past,” Melançon told CTV News.

“Talking about identity, about Quebec culture, and the importance of protecting Quebec culture and language, the French language.”

Paired with elections with both the provincial and federal Liberal parties, it’s a crucial time for the CAQ to reach its voter base, Melançon added.

“I think the political conjuncture is really what explains the question as to, why now?”

Cuts in services, immigration

Human rights lawyer Julius Grey said he will need to study the bill closely, but accused the CAQ of seeking “to impose an ideology.” With the government explicitly trying to reduce immigration, the bill is just par of the course, he added.

Reporters fired at Roberge during Thursday’s news conference, pointing out that the government cut hundreds of francization classes for newcomers, integration services in schools and ended free museum entry on the first Sunday of every month.

Melançon also said there was a “clear contradiction” between the government’s words and actions.

But Roberge claimed the government is “spending more than ever” on education, francization and culture, and that more French classes are opening up.

He also said that by reducing immigration, particularly by having fewer temporary immigrants, “there will be less demand for those services because there will be fewer people in a couple of years.”

‘Religious entryism’

The minister said Bill 84 is, in part, the government’s way of taking a “strong stance” and combat “religious entryism in all spheres of our society.”

“People came here and were not interested in our values, brushed aside gender equality, and thought they could live in this multiculturalist model, saying ‘These are my values, I’m allowed to apply them, they’re above the law and principles and I can even impose them in my classrooms by separating boys and girls,” said Roberge.

Though he was referencing the Bedford School scandal, which prompted an investigation into 17 public schools following claims that Muslim religious practices are emerging in classrooms, he said he had been working on the bill long before that.

Further legislation is expected to be tabled targeting secularism in schools.