Latest news with #FrancoisLegault
CTV News
a day ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Prayer rooms causing tensions in Quebec colleges, new government report says
Quebec Premier Francois Legault said the report of prayer rooms at Dawson College is 'worrying.' A new report from the Quebec government says prayer rooms are fuelling a climate of radicalization and mistrust in the province's junior colleges. The report questions the relevance of prayer rooms in public colleges and says they make it harder for students to get along. The document is the result of an investigation of two English-language junior colleges in Montreal, launched last November following complaints that the conflict in the Middle East had created an unsafe climate on campus. Higher Education Minister Pascale Déry says the report highlights a series of failings and says the government could take further action. The report finds that some student groups are causing tensions between students, and that the colleges lack the power to intervene. It also recommends that the government adopt a new law to regulate academic freedom in the college system. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 27, 2025.
CTV News
a day ago
- Business
- CTV News
Quebec premier announces cabinet shuffle in the fall
Quebec Premier Francois Legault says a cabinet shuffle is coming in the fall and that the CAQ will continue beating Ontario and Canadian economy. Amid his government's growing unpopularity, as seen in the polls, Quebec Premier François Legault announced Friday that he plans to shuffle his cabinet in the fall. More to come. – This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on June 27, 2024.
CTV News
a day ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Tom Mulcair: Quebec government's lack of moral compass on human rights is affecting campus life
Quebec Premier Francois Legault speaks at a news conference marking the end of the spring session at his office in Quebec City on June 6, 2025 THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot Tom Mulcair is a former leader of the federal New Democratic Party of Canada between 2012 and 2017, and a columnist for A recent report by Quebec's Ministry of Higher Education has assessed reported cases of discrimination and intimidation at two of Quebec's junior colleges (CEGEPs). The inquiry focused on activities at Vanier and Dawson Colleges, taking place against the backdrop of renewed conflict in the Middle East—specifically, the war between Israel and Hamas. The report followed an investigation involving dozens of interviews with relevant stakeholders. Its goal was to determine whether campus activities raised concerns about students' physical or psychological safety. It details a litany of institutional failures in handling complaints and highlights what appears to be clear bias. It's worth noting that both colleges are anglophone. In Quebec, the most intense university protest related to the war occurred at McGill. It appears that closer linguistic and cultural ties with protests in the U.S. and the rest of Canada have heightened tensions on Quebec's English-language campuses in particular. Alarmed by reports of politicization and polarization of campus life—from lectures to student clubs to prayer rooms—Minister Pascale Déry launched an independent investigation under the direction of her department. Déry was sharply criticized by teachers' unions and some commentators for initiating the inquiry, with critics arguing it was an attack on academic freedom. Some of those unions also support the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel. Pascale Dery Quebec Minister for higher Education Pascale Dery responds to the Opposition during question period at the legislature in Quebec City on Jan. 30, 2025 THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot The BDS movement itself is highly controversial and widely regarded as central to efforts aimed at denying Israel's right to exist. Unions, like all actors in society, are entitled to freedom of expression. What's troubling is that the unions' positions appear to have influenced their responses to the inquiry. Jewish teachers who have felt targeted or discriminated against because of campus activities have told me they believe their unions failed to respond fairly—due, in part, to anti-Israel bias. The criticism aimed at Minister Déry, especially from unions, escalated quickly. While framed as a defence of academic freedom, the real impact was an attempt to intimidate the minister into abandoning the investigation. Déry, however, remained resolute. This newly released report validates her concerns. For example, it cites a planned walkout at the two colleges that urged students to protest in order 'to demand Minister Déry resign from her position, as she abuses her power as Minister of Higher Education for the Zionist agenda.' One student newspaper published a caricature that it acknowledged was anti-Semitic but refused to publish opposing viewpoints submitted by other students. The report underscores that freedom of assembly and freedom of expression are protected Charter rights. But it also makes clear that campus rules designed to ensure student safety were ignored. One key finding is that the important principle of academic freedom is being invoked in various ways—sometimes to justify actions that are otherwise indefensible. It's also significant that Minister Déry is the only Jewish member of Quebec's cabinet. The attacks on her actions quickly became pointed and personal, with repeated calls for her resignation. These criticisms came dangerously close to linking her decisions on Middle East matters to her faith. To her credit, Déry has never publicly raised that aspect. But the implication hangs heavily over this controversy. Premier François Legault has, to date, defended her. One cannot assess this situation in isolation from Quebec's openly discriminatory laws targeting religious minorities and the English-speaking community. Legault's CAQ government has not hesitated to use religion and language as political tools. It should come as no surprise that such divisive tactics at the top are now being mirrored on campus. But that is no excuse. The absence of a moral compass at the highest level of government has trickled down to institutions. In lacking a coherent approach to rights, Legault is left pleading: Do as I say, not as I do. When colleges fail to uphold and defend rights, they are just as culpable as the government. The just-released ministerial report provides a reasoned and balanced analysis of these divisive events. Still, meaningful change is far more difficult when the government itself exploits religious and linguistic differences for political gain. McGill University, student protest An encampment set up by pro-Palestinian student activists is seen on McGill University campus in Montreal on April 29, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi Recently, Legault's CAQ government targeted two English-language universities, McGill and Concordia, slashing their funding and imposing new language requirements. The justification? That too much English was being heard in the streets of Montreal. (Legault's own office is literally across the street from McGill's Roddick Gates.) In a recent decision, Quebec's Superior Court dismissed that rationale, finding no evidence to support a threat to the French language. It struck down the budgetary rules that targeted the anglophone institutions. In a stunning turn, it was Minister Déry who announced that, although the government would not appeal the ruling—it would ignore it. Legault plans to reintroduce the discriminatory rules using a new pretext, now that the 'threat to French' argument has been legally discredited. Such a move is unprecedented in a democracy governed by the rule of law. Telling CEGEPs they aren't respecting rules intended to protect their communities becomes a textbook case of the pot calling the kettle black. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is meant to protect all Canadians, from coast to coast to coast. Over 40 years old, its application remains uneven across provinces. The greatest threat to its integrity is the increasing use of the 'notwithstanding clause,' which continues to erode its intended purpose. That clause—introduced as a compromise to bring hesitant provinces onboard with constitutional repatriation in 1982—allows legislatures to declare certain laws operative even if they violate Charter rights. Doug Ford's Progressive Conservative government used the clause to override Charter protections and impose back-to-work legislation on CUPE education workers. While Ford initially vowed to use it again, public backlash in Ontario led him to repeal the law. In Saskatchewan, Premier Scott Moe invoked the clause in legislation affecting LGBTQ+ students after a court struck it down. But nowhere is the clause used more freely than in Quebec. The Supreme Court has held that provinces may invoke it preemptively—even before a law is challenged in court. In fact, Quebec's Court of Appeal has ruled that courts may not even comment on whether such legislation is discriminatory. The notwithstanding clause can be used without test or justification. Emboldened by this, Premier Legault has described it as the 'parliamentary sovereignty clause'—clearly stating that elected officials, not judges, will decide what rights citizens have—or don't have. Predictably, this has created a chilling environment where even challenging discriminatory laws like Bill 21 (religion) or Bill 96 (language) is cast as an attack on Quebec itself. The same goes for the blanket invocation of 'academic freedom.' The message: nothing to see here—move along. If we've decided to discriminate, it's nobody's business. It's protected by the academic version of the notwithstanding clause. Quebec's Bill 21 targets religious minorities broadly, and Muslim women in particular. It is finally headed to the Supreme Court. Legault is already preparing to frame any ruling against it as an attack on Quebec—and by extension, an attack by the federal government. Despite the deeply troubling motives behind the law, don't count on the Supreme Court to overturn it. The Charter, riddled with exceptions, cannot easily be interpreted to say what it doesn't explicitly state. For now, the only cost of invoking the notwithstanding clause is political, not legal. That deterred Doug Ford—but not Scott Moe or François Legault. Balancing competing rights is the duty of legislatures and courts alike. The report reminds us that this same responsibility now falls on college administrators—many of whom may not have the training or experience to navigate such complex terrain. In today's world of instant images, instant reactions, and instant judgment, there's less and less space for thoughtful deliberation. When complex concepts like academic freedom are used to justify actions that generate fear among students or staff, it's time to step back. Wise, informed counsel is rare—but more necessary than ever. In her reaction to the report, Minister Dery speaks of 'very troubling facts that bring to light a series of failures that have profoundly undermined the climate on both campuses, stoked tensions and weakened the ability to live together.' She expresses her government's resolve to deal with divisive behaviour and adds that 'attending an educational institution that is healthy and safe is not a privilege, it's a right.' No one can disagree with that. Dery leaves the door open as to possible government actions and wisely invites the colleges themselves to take steps to correct the situation, failing which the government reserves the right to act in their place. This is a delicate balancing act since the report also says that in the Quebec government's view, a part of the problem is that Bill 21, that targets religious minorities, isn't fully respected on those college campuses. If living together and avoiding divisions is the goal, Quebec also has to ask itself whether it hasn't helped give rise to those very divisions with its own discriminatory actions.
Globe and Mail
20-06-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Hydro dynamics
Opinion How Quebec and Newfoundland overcame a century of hurt to reach a new deal on Churchill Falls Konrad Yakabuski The Globe and Mail Quebec Premier Francois Legault and former Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador Andrew Furey shake hands after signing a memorandum of understanding between Hydro-Québec and NL Hydro in St. John's on Dec. 12, 2024. Paul Daly/The Canadian Press to view this content.
CTV News
16-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Quebec premier defends Bombardier at Paris Air Show
Quebec Prime Minister Francois Legault, right, and Quebec Economy Minister Christine Frechette visit the Paris Air Show , Monday, June 16, 2025 in Le Bourget, north of Paris. (Michel Euler/The Associated Press) Quebec Premier François Legault took part in Bombardier's campaign to sell one of its aircraft models to the Canadian Defence Department on Monday in Paris, Fra. Legault spent the day at the Paris Air Show, the largest event of its kind in the world. Bombardier says it believes it can convince Ottawa to buy the aircraft after Mark Carney's government announced an additional $9 billion in military spending. Legault says he wants Quebec to get its lion's share and Bombardier to win the contract for its aircraft, designed for surveillance and detection missions. France Paris Air Show Quebec Prime Minister Francois Legault, right, and Quebec Economy Minister Christine Frechette visit the Paris Air Show , Monday, June 16, 2025 in Le Bourget, north of Paris. (Michel Euler/The Associated Press) The premier boarded a GlobalEye parked on the tarmac, an aircraft manufactured by Sweden's Saab, but with Quebec origins: it is built on Bombardier's Global Express platform. 'The people at Boeing are nervous that we are here,' Saab vice president Carl-Johan Bergholm told Legault. Bombardier-Boeing standoff Indeed, Saab-Bombardier and the American company Boeing are engaged in a standoff. In March 2023, Ottawa indicated that it planned to replace the air force's surveillance aircraft, considering only one supplier, Boeing. Bombardier protested, demanding a genuine call for tenders so it could submit its aircraft, which had already been sold and proven in other markets. 'I have no regrets about doing so,' said the company's CEO, Éric Martel, in an interview on Monday at Bombardier Defence's offices in Le Bourget. 'It made everyone understand that it might be in our best interest to talk to each other and work better together,' he argued. He says he is hopeful that an agreement can be reached with Ottawa. Collaboration with Safran In addition, Bombardier signed a letter of intent on Monday with Safran, a French industry giant that is the world's second-largest aerospace equipment manufacturer. The two companies say they want to expand their collaboration. Je suis particulièrement fier de l'annonce d'un partenariat entre deux leaders de l'aéronautique: @Bombardier et @SAFRAN. Ils vont travailler ensemble pour remporter des appels d'offres, dans nos deux pays. Et offrir des emplois industriels payants, en France et au Québec.… — François Legault (@francoislegault) June 16, 2025 This will allow researchers to work together on systems used in military equipment, explained a Bombardier representative. The amounts and details are confidential, he added. This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on June 16, 2025.
