The national question is not a priority topic, Éric Duhaime said at the beginning when we met him at his home to discuss the language, culture and the status of Quebec in the Canadian federation. He insisted that he did not believe that would be the focus of the next election campaign.
“I’m not saying it doesn’t matter, but I don’t think it’s going to be an issue that people will vote on …”
However, he has ideas on these questions that, historically, have already caught up with the leaders of the parties in the electoral campaign before the nationalist Maurice Duplessis. At the heart of its strategy, the continuing concern to preserve individual freedoms, as a good managernot without taking some liberties with this principle.
conservative nationalism
The Conservative leader did not hesitate to describe himself as a nationalist attached to the autonomy of Quebec. On the merits, he admitted that his positions were close to those of the Coalitions avenir Québec (CAQ), except that he did not seek to show that he is a nationalist and encourage people to vote for it.
Thus, Éric Duhaime opposes Bill 96, which should be used to strengthen Bill 101, because this bill uses the provision to the contrary and because he sees for himself something there that is contrary to fundamental freedoms. He does not want to impose Bill 101 on CEGEP because he sees the urgent aspect to it, but he sees no problem in maintaining it in elementary and secondary. to maintain linguistic peace.
Same thing with Law 21, which also avoids charters of rights: Freedom is not taken away, on the contrary: I have learned that freedom is allowed, because I am allowed to have secular services in public space. I think the logic is reversedhe said.
However, he maintains his positions on other issues: in culture, in heritage preservation or in art funding, the less the state, the better happens. For example, he believes that quotas for French-language music on radio are counterproductive, and therefore redundant.
Duhaime’s dream
The Conservative leader makes no secret of this: he wants to fill the void left by the Liberal Party within the English -speaking community. Therefore, he actively seeks to attract these voters. Also in politics, nature hates the vacuum. For us, this is definitely an opportunity, as many English speakers are looking for a new brand.
It’s not strange in the fact that, there too, Éric Duhaime likes reverse the debate. He has a vague view of capping the number of places in English -speaking CEGEPs. Instead of restricting Francophones ’access to the Anglophone network, why not encourage Anglophone students to study in French?
In his opinion, Anglo-Quebecers should be aware of the fact that they have opportunity and even possibility. to live in a French -speaking territory, then to master two languages. How can they be convinced to study French? In scholarships, adapted programs, recognition of their training.
Montreal, a bilingual metropolis?
Furthermore, instead of worrying about the presence of English in Montreal, the Conservative leader proposes to bank on the advantage that bilingualism can represent.
For Éric Duhaime, French should remain the common language, but he added with the same breath that we should also focus on the English -speaking community. So, he considers that Montreal is a bilingual metropolis because it can rely on the services of universities and research centers in both languages, as well as in two prosperous communities […] with historical institutions.
This time again, he proposed a change of perspective, even as he acknowledged the weakness of the French in the region. Quebec is French, and even in Montreal, the common language is French, but there are bilingual institutions, there is presence, there is history.
Fewer immigrants, better integrated
On the question of immigration, the conservative politician admitted that he was not always on the same wavelength as his party. He wanted to set immigration limits according to labor market needs, but his party activists insisted on reducing the number of immigrants admitted to Quebec.
Members chose to adopt a position somewhat similar to that of CAQthat is, reduce immigration limits without necessarily counting themhe said.
However, even if he is inclined to raise the limits, Éric Duhaime wants to defend the right of Quebecers to debate it. I don’t like when Quebecers are accused of intolerance when they propose to lower immigration limits. In contrast, Quebec already welcomes more immigrants than Americans. per capita or even the French … For us to lower the thresholds as we are one of the most welcome societies in the world.
And even if it is willing to accept more foreign workers, it remembers that Quebec has an integration duty that implies choosing good candidates for immigration based on certain values. That’s what he calls it harmony of civilization.
If someone comes here and thinks there are religious laws in the country, alas, that won’t work. And then I think it’s important to say this.
No more quotas
Like health or economy, the leader of PCQ sees culture as another collateral victim of the health crisis. In his opinion, the artists suffered greatly from lack of consideration from the government in the first five waves of the pandemic.
What I saw in two years was the only one that stood up for the artists and said they had a work importantly, it’s us, the Conservatives! Although he has always been very critical of the grants given to artists, he has no intention of withdrawing them state aid if he wins the election next fall.
Artists, in their only two years, need to be given a breakhe said before adding that it was important that they could continue to entertain Quebecers.
On the other hand, if he can tolerate the subsidies, this is not the case with quotas for French-language radio music, which are counterproductive and should be removed, he said. We are emptying the traditional media of law listeners that cannot be found on the Internet.
The Conservative Alliance
At the constitutional level, Éric Duhaime acknowledges that, here too, his position is almost identical to that of CAQ. Like Premier François Legault, he has already shared the dream of making Quebec a country.
Freedom was, according to him, the project of a generation that ended in failures in 1980 and 1995. I consider Quebec the loser of those two failures, and I’m not just talking about sovereigns.
Failing to convince Quebeckers to opt for sovereignty, he offered them, like the CAQ, more autonomy within Canada. For me, a winning strategy is for Quebec to regain powers and for Quebeckers to unite. And there, I extend my hand to the other parties: they should split in Ottawa rather than Quebec in the next round.
However, unlike the current government, Éric Duhaime relies on the large Canadian Conservative family to make a living.
I have always considered that we have strategic allies in Canada: it is not true that in English Canada, people are pure centralizers. There are some governments in other provinces that are as frustrated as we see the federal government interfering in their areas of jurisdiction: we need to form an alliance with those people.
What if Ottawa refused? Let’s unite for federal electionsrelease the PCQ leader. A quarter of the counties are with us! And if Justin Trudeau keeps the hard line, he will lose a quarter of the riding available in Canada!
This is reminiscent of another nationalist, Honoré Mercier, who in 1889 declared: Let’s stop our fratricidal struggles! Magsama! Like what some dream is not dying …
The interview
While some are celebrating National Patriots ’Day today and others are celebrating Victoria Day, Radio-Canada brings you an in-depth interview with the leader of the Conservative Party of Quebec on these issues specific to the Quebec language nation. , culture and identity.
Source: Radio-Canada
