Diane De Courcy, Quebec minister responsible for language law, speaks at a news conference at the end of a legislature committee that would modify the French language law in the province, Thursday, April 18, 2013 at the legislature in Quebec City. Government MLA Emilien Pelletier, left, looks on.Jacques Boissinot/The Canadian Press
The Parti Québécois minority government's contentious language legislation has taken an important leap forward with adoption in principle, but still faces considerable hurdles.
The Coalition Avenir Québec voted with the government on Thursday to ensure second reading passage of Bill 14 and allow detailed study of the proposed legislation to begin. But it warned that without amendments, the CAQ will withdraw support and defeat it.
"There is still a lot of work to do," CAQ language critic Nathalie Roy said. "We've asked for amendments, we've asked for [provisions to be] dropped, and the minister will seriously have to listen to us, otherwise we will vote against the law."
With the Liberals spending the past several weeks obstructing debate, the PQ has decided to postpone clause-by-clause review of the bill until the fall and begin negotiations with the CAQ on possible amendments.
The PQ has indicated it will meet the CAQ's demand to protect municipalities' bilingual status when the number of anglophone residents falls below 50 per cent. The powers that the bill would give the Office québécois de la langue française to determine a municipality's bilingual status are expected to be limited.
The government has also dropped a provision that would have prevented children of francophone military families from enrolling in English-language public schools.
The minister responsible for the French Language Charter, Diane De Courcy, said that her government remains adamant about adopting provisions that reinforce the use of French in the workplace. The CAQ wants less red tape for small companies in the enforcement of the measure, but Ms. De Courcy is determined to proceed.
"With respect to language in the workplace, as you know, this is the heart of the bill," she said.
The minister also indicated she has responded to the CAQ's demand to address concerns raised by the anglophone community. In a letter co-signed with her cabinet colleague Jean-François Lisée published in the Montreal Gazette, Ms. De Courcy made several proposals aimed at easing the fears of English-rights groups. The minister said she does not expect to do anything else.
"I don't think I need to reassure them any more than I have," she said.
Negotiations with the CAQ will likely begin in earnest in the coming days. The PQ indicated it wants to undertake the detailed review of the bill next fall with a clear idea of what amendments to put forward to ensure CAQ support. Both parties are vying to consolidate the francophone vote before the next election campaign. The PQ wants to avoid creating the perception it is back-pedalling on one of its most vital bills, while the CAQ needs to project the image of a strong defender of French-language rights.
But in the end, the Liberals may have the final say. As the official opposition, the party expressed a strong desire to block passage of the bill and has enough parliamentary ammunition to filibuster debate and block all attempts to put it to a final vote.