The Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ) has pledged to invest an additional $380 million over four years to promote and protect the French language if it forms the government after Oct. 5.
This is the budget allocation that Charles Milliard’s Liberals promise to dedicate to their French language plan, which was presented Tuesday afternoon in Montreal.
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A significant portion of this amount will be dedicated to francization ($138.4 million) as well as to the promotion of reading ($110.6 million).
The PLQ’s plan is structured around seven main pillars defined by the words “read,” “learn,” “integrate,” “protect,” “promote,” “thrive,” and “unite.”
“We’re going to help young people improve their reading skills and their ability to master French. We will help immigrants who choose Quebec to speak French more quickly and more fluently.
“We will also protect everyone’s rights, including the freedom to choose one’s education. But we do recognize that the current proportion of English-language CEGEPs is a valid reality,” summarized the PLQ leader at a press conference held in a bookstore.
“This is a positive, ambitious, and multifaceted plan. There is no magic wand to improve the status of French in Quebec,” Milliard continued.
The plan also includes an amendment to the Charter of the French Language to require the government to identify geographic areas where the French language is at risk and to implement targeted regional strategies to strengthen the presence of French in those areas.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
