The next provincial general election in Québec is scheduled for October 3 and Bill 21 is not receiving the attention it deserves from party leaders. The provincial statute oppresses religious minorities and should be at the forefront of political conversation.
In a 73-35 vote, An Act respecting the laicity of the State, commonly referred to as Bill 21, was passed by the Québec National Assembly on June 16, 2019. The act prohibits civil service employees in positions of authority from wearing religious symbols.
All votes in favour of the act were from Coalition Avenir Québec and Parti Québécois, while all votes against the act were from Québec’s Liberal Party and Québec Solidaire.
The act has sparked controversy across Canada and is currently facing a legal challenge led by the Canadian Civil Liberties Association.
However, despite the ongoing challenge, major parties in the upcoming election do not show nearly enough concern for the clearly divisive issue in their campaigns.
While Coalition Avenir Québec and Parti Québécois continue to support the act, Québec Liberal Party leaders said they will not be renewing the act under the Charter’s notwithstanding clause, and Québec Solidaire is the only major party promising to amend the secularist act.
Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, co-spokesperson for left-wing party Québec Solidaire, said his government would repeal part of the act to make it possible for teachers to wear religious symbols at work.
This is the farthest any party has gone in opposing the act.
Leader of the official opposition Dominique Anglade said she thinks the act is “going too far” but did not say her party would repeal the act. Instead, she said the Québec Liberal Party would not renew the act’s withstanding clause when it expires in 2024.
While most of Québec’s provincial parties are choosing to either leave the act as is or sidestep any actions towards amending it, support for Bill 21 is declining.
In September 2021, 64 per cent of Québecers were in favour of Bill 21, according to a survey done by the Leger for the Association for Canadian Studies. In January this number dropped to 55 per cent.
Additionally, a survey of law and education students in Québec found that over half of respondents said they were likely to look for work outside of Québec due to Bill 21.
The racism and xenophobia faced by those affected by Bill 21 needs to be discussed by party leaders at greater lengths than their feelings about it. Action plans on how a party will tackle the dismantling of this act need to be evident in its platforms.
Provincial leaders need to step up with bolder actions to make the province of Québec a safer place for civil service employees of all backgrounds.
