The main theme, if not the only theme, of the CAQ convention this weekend was pride, the CAQ’s new favorite expression for talking about identity, language and immigration.
The Prime Minister, in his closing remarks, painted an alarming picture of our existence as a people. The Louisianization of Quebec would be underway, unless it had full control of a minority category of immigration, in addition to the powers of selection that Quebec already has in matters of economic immigration, the most important category. .
Language requirements
Our fate as a people therefore rests on less than 10,000 spouses and children who come to join their relatives in Quebec. For our children and grandchildren to live in French, we must be able to determine whether the spouses and children of those who are already here meet our language requirements.
We, in Quebec, will determine which member of the family we want, versus the one we do not want. It does not matter if the children must be educated in French or that the husband must master the language of Molière six months after his arrival.
Hearing these arguments, I really wonder if there is a limit to the populism of the Legault government. How far is he ready to go in demagoguery, in the dehumanization of immigration and in division to stay in power?
To add another layer, as if that were not enough, the battle for our survival is not only a question of defending French as a common language, but also a question of the language spoken at home. So no matter how much you work in French, study in French, socialize in French, if you have the misfortune to speak Spanish, Portuguese or Italian at Sunday supper with your children and your parents, you are a threat to Quebec identity, by Francois Legault.
