Quebec legislature unanimously condemns the idea of making province bilingual
CTV
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.
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.
