OTTAWA | Yves-François Blanchet says he is “disturbed” by the way the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government has drafted Quebec's constitution.
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“I say that a constitution, before it can be adopted, must at least [faire] a subject of broad consensus that can only be achieved through extensive consultation. And this is not a parliamentary commission of the National Assembly of Quebec eleven or ten months before the general elections,” he said in the foyer of Parliament on Thursday.
The Bloc Québécois leader echoed criticism of the opposition in the National Assembly, ranging from the Parti Québécois to the Liberal Party, including Solidere Québécois.
The latter quickly blocked the introduction of the bill, presented on Thursday morning by Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette.
The main criticism of the government is not the content of the forty-page document, but the fact that it was largely written under the radar.
Mr. Blanchet fits into the same list.
“I don't want to imagine that a government with a majority in Quebec can impose a constitution because every other government in Quebec will subsequently say, 'Well, I'll change it!'
“So I'm concerned about the current process, which is not bringing people together around the vision that Quebec has.”
Will the Bloc defend the constitution if Mark Carney's government decides to attack it?
That may depend on how the case in Quebec develops.
“We know that we will have to defend Quebec's identity and Quebec's prerogatives because of what the National Assembly does,” Mr. Blanchet said.
What's certain is that Ottawa has “no shred of legitimacy to be involved in this,” the sovereigntist party leader said.
The Carney government is choosing to take a step back before making a decision on the CAQ initiative.
“We will carefully review the contents of the proposal to fully understand its scope and implications. It is important to review the contents before making any comments. Our government will continue to work with Quebec and all provinces to strengthen the Canadian federation,” the office of Sean Fraser, federal justice minister, said in a written statement.
However, it is clear that Minister Jolin-Barrette's project could cause major headaches in Ottawa.
Many of the articles contained in the CAQ's Bill 1 risk upsetting the constitutional tranquility that has reigned between Quebec and Ottawa since the late 1990s.
Among other things, the draft Quebec constitution:
- unilaterally amends the Constitution Act of 1867 to include secularism as a fundamental characteristic of the people of Quebec;
- affirms that “the State of Quebec has the responsibility to preserve and expand the constitutional autonomy of Quebec and to fully exercise Quebec's constitutional powers”;
- prohibits the use of public funds to assist organizations in challenging laws that protect the nation of Quebec, as is the case with Bill 21 and Bill 96;
- may allow any federal initiative considered to encroach upon Quebec's jurisdiction to be declared unconstitutional (under the Quebec Constitution);
- abolishes the role of the lieutenant governor, appointed by the federal government, and replaces it with a “Quebec officer” appointed by Quebec.
