Tag Archive for: François Legault

At the Hockey Jersey Summit, different colours, same team

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Quebec hasn’t just abandoned the French-speaking minorities in the other provinces. It’s also betrayed them.

In a familiar ritual as Canadian as drunken curlers, the premiers of Quebec and Ontario exchanged jerseys for the cameras before their first meeting in Toronto this week.

From Quebec, the business-as-usual mood of the visuals looked surreal, considering that François Legault had been expected to deliver a stern message to Doug Ford.

This province’s politico-media class was in an uproar over the Ford government’s cancellation of what would have been Ontario’s first all-French university, and abolition of the office of advocate for public services in French.

There was no question, however, of postponing until a happier time the friendly public exchange of the Canadiens and Maple Leafs jerseys personalized with the recipient’s name and his number in the order of his province’s premiers.

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Legault’s support of Franco-Ontarians is essential, and encouraging

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Under normal circumstances, Quebec Premier François Legault might have found a lot in common with Doug Ford, his Ontario counterpart, during their first tête-à-tête in Toronto Monday.

Both are businessmen-turned-politicians who have arrived in power by unseating long-entrenched Liberal governments. Both are fiscal conservatives with populist tendencies. Both have concerns about immigration. Both are at odds with Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on major priorities. Both have threatened in their brief tenures to use the notwithstanding clause should the courts stand in the way of their legislative agendas.

But looming large over a meeting between the next-door neighbours, which was supposed to focus on strengthening economic ties, was the Ford government’s unfortunate decision last week to sacrifice the rights of Franco-Ontarians in the name of clawing its way out of a financial hole. In an economic update, the Ontario government cancelled plans for a francophone university and axed the province’s French-language commissioner, absorbing its functions into the ombudsman’s office.

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No designated minister for anglophones as Quebec premier vows to take on portfolio himself

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‘It’s not a bad arrangement,’ says president of Anglo lobby group, the Quebec Community Groups Network.

Premier François Legault has not appointed a minister responsible for relations with English-speaking Quebecers — instead, taking on the position himself.

Legault, a former sovereignist, plans to handle the portfolio in conjunction with his role as premier and minister responsible for youth issues.

He has assigned Laval MNA Christopher Skeete to be his parliamentary secretary, charged with overseeing the province’s Secretariat for relations with English-speaking Quebecers.

Legault addressed anglophone Quebecers at his swearing-in ceremony, saying in English he plans to “govern in a respectful manner with the historical anglophone community.”

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Will anglos have a voice in government under François Legault’s plan?

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As the former minister responsible for relations with English-speaking Quebecers, Kathleen Weil said the eradication of the ministerial position under the new government represents a step back for the English community.

Newly sworn-in Quebec Premier François Legault announced Thursday he would take responsibility for the dossier, and was naming Laval MNA Christopher Skeete as his parliamentary assistant, responsible for the Secretariat for relations with English-speaking Quebecers.

“The fact Premier Legault is taking on responsibility for relations with English-speaking Quebecers, I think it sends a positive message to the community,” Weil said. But as someone who served as a minister for eight years, Weil said she has seen first-hand how decisions and policies are made, and a ministerial position is crucial.

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QCGN Looks Forward to Working Together with Premier François Legault and his new cabinet

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QCGN Looks Forward to Working Together with Premier François Legault and his new cabinet

Our community also looks forward to working with Christopher Skeete, the new Parliamentary Assistant in charge of the Secretariat for Relations


Montreal – October 18, 2018 – The Quebec Community Groups Network applauds Coalition Avenir Québec leader François Legault, who was sworn in as Quebec’s 32nd Premier on Thursday and looks forward to working with the new Premier and his new cabinet on key issues such as health and education.

QCGN President Geoffrey Chambers also extended the Network’s congratulations to Sainte-Rose MNA Christopher Skeete, who will be the voice of English-speaking Quebecers in Legault’s government. Switching to English halfway through his speech following the swearing-in ceremony, Premier Legault announced that Skeete will become Parliamentary Assistant in charge of the Secretariat for Relations with English-speaking Quebecers.

“We offer our assistance to Skeete and the new CAQ government so that they can better understand and represent the interests of English-speaking Quebecers across the province,” Chambers said, remarking that the QCGN has a variety of other immediate concerns, including the implementation of legislative guarantees that ensure access to health and social services and the future of English school boards.

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CAQ putting emphasis on team with election on horizon

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“The Coalition Avenir Quebec is meeting in Ste. Adele this week to prepare for the spring session of the National Assembly — but more importantly, to lay the groundwork for this year’s provincial election.”

Coalition Avenir Québec leader François Legault presented Dr. Lionel Carmant as the potential candidate to be health minister in a CAQ government. Members of the party gathered in Ste. Adèle for a two-day meeting to prepare for the spring session. They also discussed some proposals for the election, such as a plan to abolish school boards which drew a lot of ire from English-language groups.

The QCGN said in a statement that the CAQ displayed little knowledge of the English-speaking community. The Quebec English School Boards Association also reacted to the plan.

Read the article on CTV News website

QCGN Leaders Disappointed by CAQ’s Position on Bill 14

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Montreal, March 8, 2013 – The Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN) and its members are disappointed that the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) and its leader François Legault have decided to support parts of Bill 14.  Specifically, we are concerned that they intend to support amendments to the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms that could weaken protections against linguistic discrimination by influencing how courts interpret the rest of the Charter.

“After careful examination of the bill with our members and community stakeholders it is the position of the QCGN that Bill 14 must be defeated in its entirety,” said QCGN President Dan Lamoureux, noting that the Liberal Party has indicated they will not support the Bill. That leaves the balance of power on this issue in the hands of the CAQ and its 19 Members of the National Assembly. “In order to ensure the bill is defeated it is essential that the CAQ, or at least some of their members, vote against it.”

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Anglophones aren’t on board yet: François Legault’s political history makes some non-francophones twitch

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BY PHILIP AUTHIER, THE GAZETTE OCTOBER 17, 2011

Anglos, anglos, where are the anglophones?

For a movement that fancies itself inclusive and sells an idea that should be popular among federalists – shelving all talk of referendums or constitutional reform – the coalition has a dearth of non-francophones in its ranks, which now number about 5,000.

Beyond business tycoon and coalition co-founder Charles Sirois, who has links to the provincial Liberals, not been many federalists have come forward to get involved in this coalition.

He has yet to meet the Quebec Community Groups Network, an umbrella group for 32 English-language community groups across Quebec, but network spokesperson Rita Legault (no relation) said there have been discussions about having one.

 

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Anglophones aren’t on board yet: François Legault’s political history makes some non-francophones twitch

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BY PHILIP AUTHIER, THE GAZETTE OCTOBER 17, 2011

Anglos, anglos, where are the anglophones?

For a movement that fancies itself inclusive and sells an idea that should be popular among federalists – shelving all talk of referendums or constitutional reform – the coalition has a dearth of non-francophones in its ranks, which now number about 5,000.

Beyond business tycoon and coalition co-founder Charles Sirois, who has links to the provincial Liberals, not been many federalists have come forward to get involved in this coalition.

He has yet to meet the Quebec Community Groups Network, an umbrella group for 32 English-language community groups across Quebec, but network spokesperson Rita Legault (no relation) said there have been discussions about having one.

 

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