Anglophones on the sidelines in the Quebec election
OTTAWA—I am far from my home in Kamouraska, Que., but aware of the events in the shambolic provincial election campaign. Having drilled down into the role of the election in the current national existential crisis/trade war, I will drill further to a subset of the Oct. 5 election: the involvement of Quebec’s English-speaking community.
This isn’t to inflate their importance: despite being 1.6 million people (more than the respective populations of six provinces and territories), they are mostly clustered on the island of Montreal, where there are 27 seats, of which a dozen count substantial numbers of anglophones.
Off the island, in western Quebec, the Eastern Townships, and the Far North, there are another 20 or so seats where the proportion of English-speakers ranges from five to 10 per cent. However, they tend to vote as a herd: in the 2022 election, non-francophone voters delivered 27 seats to the Quebec Liberals, enough to make them the official opposition in the National Assembly.
The Coalition Avenir Québec government of then-premier François Legault dined out on its tempestuous relationship with the English-speaking community. Legault, who once boasted at a Parti Québécois meeting that he “hated [the English] as much as you do,” took great joy in calling English Quebecers “the world’s best-treated minority.” He also refused to be interviewed on English media the eight years he was premier.
Legault introduced the mean-spirited Bill 96 in 2021, ostensibly to strengthen the French language, but which so inflamed the English-speaking community there are 10 cases challenging the law in court (full disclosure: I am a plaintiff in one of them).
His successor, Christine Fréchette, offered to “change the tone” of her party’s relationship with Anglo Quebecers when she became leader in April. Unfortunately, she didn’t change the substance.
Proof of that came recently when it was disclosed French Language Minister Jean-François Roberge and Commissioner of the French Language Benoît Dubreuil refused to allow Élections Québec an exemption to issue bilingual voter information cards. Instead, the cards will include a QR code for English speakers.
The decision would have been taken months ago, but wasn’t revealed until last week. Given this apparent voter suppression is probably unconstitutional, an injunction is being sought to force the issuing of bilingual information.
And she of the “new tone,” Fréchette, doubled down to say there would be no change in the voter information cards as “French is the only official language in Quebec,” and anglophones should accept a QR code. Most Anglos speak French, but those who don’t are the elderly, Indigenous people, the rural poor, visible minorities, and the physically and mentally challenged, who may not recognize a QR code or don’t own a smartphone.
Then came another shock: Élections Québec will refuse to serve voters who are not “historic anglophones,” the 500,000 Quebecers not educated for seven years of primary and secondary school in English in Canada. These citizens could be refused election information if they phone a “help” line or request assistance at the polls.
The whole issue has caused a storm in the Quebec media. Quebec nationalists have compared this policy to Canadian provinces where francophone minorities don’t receive bilingual provincial information. But there are bilingual election cards for francophone minorities in Ontario, Manitoba, and New Brunswick.
It took Quebec Liberal Leader Charles Milliard three days to write the premier after the news broke, but she dismissed him immediately. So, the fate of information for disadvantaged unilingual anglophones lies with the courts.
It amounts to this: anglophones are orphans in this election. There will be three French leaders’ debates, but none in English, even though non-francophones have specific concerns related to language, health, education, and government services. The election information contretemps is a microcosm of the discrimination dating back to the passage of Bill 96.
One would expect this egregious treatment might engender a backlash, but the one party supporting Anglo interests, the Canadian Party/Parti Canadien, is struggling for attention.
Given the Quebec Liberals supported unanimous motions on eliminating the oath to the King, Quebec’s “right” to self-determination, and denunciations of bilingualism, the prospect they will defend Anglo rights in the National Assembly is slim to none.
One MNA from the Parti Canadien would stop similar motions in their tracks, but it appears anglophones are reluctant to vote in their own interest.
Andrew Caddell is retired from Global Affairs Canada, where he was a senior policy adviser. He previously worked as an adviser to Liberal governments. He is a former town councillor in Kamouraska, Que. He can be reached at pipson52@hotmail.com.
The Hill Times