Quebec legislature unanimously condemns the idea of making province bilingual

In a vote that received the unanimous support of all elected officials, the National Assembly “vigorously rejects” the comments of Liberal MP Angelo Iacono that Quebec would be stronger if it were an officially bilingual province.

The motion was presented on Tuesday by Quebec’s Minister of the French Language, Jean-François Roberge, along with members of the Quebec Liberal Party, Québec solidaire and Parti québécois.

The National Assembly also wishes to recall “its rich history, punctuated by bold gestures to defend and ensure the vitality of its only official language, French.”

It also affirms “without nuance” that “the strength of the Quebec nation certainly does not lie in bilingualism, but in its distinct character, with its unique culture and its resolutely francophone specificity.”

At the close of the vote, in which 106 MNAs voted in person or electronically, Deputy Government House Leader Éric Caire asked that a copy of the motion be sent to the House of Commons and to federal Iacono.

Last Thursday, Iacono set off a firestorm by asserting that Quebec would benefit from becoming an officially bilingual province, rather than having only French as its official language.

“I believe that Quebec, and I believe that Canada, should be a bilingual country, to be stronger and not just a unilingual French-speaking province, because then you’re going to shut out the others who want to learn French,” said the MP, who represents the riding of Alfred-Pellan.

Representatives of the Bloc Québécois, the Conservative Party of Canada and Quebec minister Simon Jolin-Barrette — who spearheaded the reform of the Charter of the French Language — all denounced the remarks as disrespectful.

New Brunswick is the only officially bilingual province in the country. Quebec has French as its only official language. The other eight provinces have only English as their official language.

– With files from Patrice Bergeron in Quebec City

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on June 4, 2024.