The CAQ government suspects the opposition of wanting to obstruct the adoption of its proposed Quebec constitution.
During Wednesday’s debate on the adoption of the principle of Bill 1, the responsible minister, Simon Jolin-Barrette, warned opposition parties against possible attempts at obstruction.
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It should be remembered that parliamentarians cannot openly claim to be delaying the work of Parliament, which is commonly called “filibusting”, but opposition parties sometimes resort to all the resources of the Assembly’s Rules of Procedure to prolong the proceedings.
The article-by-article study of the bill is due to begin shortly, and Jolin-Barrette is keen to have his ambitious draft constitution adopted before the end of the proceedings in June and the elections that will follow in the fall.
The government holds a more than sufficient majority in the House to pass the bill, but the support of another party would bring additional legitimacy to a legislative document as important as a constitution, conceived as the law of laws.
“I am convinced that all political parties will rally behind the draft constitution,” he said briefly before heading to the House on Wednesday morning.
However, the Liberal Party (PLQ), Québec solidaire (QS) and the Parti québécois (PQ) have all expressed reservations, or even opposition, to the CAQ’s proposed constitution.
“This is a test of leadership, transparency, integrity and frankness towards the Quebec nation,” Jolin-Barrette said during the debate in the House.
“If the Liberal Party blocks the text, they will no longer be able to claim to be nationalists, they will no longer be able to claim to be defending Quebec values, they will no longer be able to claim to support their new leader Charles Milliard who wants to reach out to Quebecers.”
In a lengthy reply, Liberal justice critic André A. Morin was scathing.
“This is a vindictive bill,” he argued. “And the minister wants us to agree to it? Never!”
Jolin-Barrete also issued a warning to Québec solidaire and the Parti québécois to rally together.
“We need to listen to people outside of Montreal, to show openness towards the entire Quebec population,” he told QS, while inviting the PQ to “think of the homeland before the party,” thus referring to a phrase from former PQ leader Bernard Landry.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
