Even though there has been a massive public outcry, not only in Quebec but also nationally – and even with the English Montreal School Board, one of the largest teacher’s union in Quebec, ready to file a legal challenge against it and who just yesterday announced they will not adhere to the ban, Premier of Francois Legault and his CAQ government have tabled Bill 21 today that would ban many of the provinces workers from wearing religious symbols. The proposed ban has even made international headlines, but that seems to have no influence on the Quebec government who has fatuously promised to use the Notwithstanding Clause to stop any legal challenges to Bill 21.
On one hand, Premier Legault has stated he wants ‘to build an inclusive society for all in Quebec’ and on the other hand he seeks to divide Quebecers through a discriminatory policy. If Bill 21 is passed, it will forbid public sector employees ‘in position of authority’ from wearing religious symbols at work – the small consolation being a provision which would allow for employees already working in those public sector positions to continue wearing their religious symbols.
According to Simon Jolin-Barrette, CAQ’s Immigration, Diversity and Inclusiveness Minister, who tabled the Bill 21 and has stirred up enough controversy of his own since holding the position, when he introduced Bill 9 in early February, indiscriminately throwing out 18,000 immigrant applications without any real justification, “They (elementary and high school teachers, judges, police officers, peace officers prison guards, crown prosecutors, public servants and speakers of the National Assembly) will still be able to realize their dreams, just not while wearing a religious symbol.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was not able to fully respond to details of the bill as he is waiting to read the exact wording, but he condemned discrimination based on religion and was cited in a CTV report saying, “Canada and indeed Quebec are places where we are a secular society. We respect deeply people’s rights and freedom including freedom of expression, freedom of conscience, freedom of religion. It is unthinkable to me that in a free society we would legitimize discrimination against citizens based on their religion.”
