Quebec's overhaul of its strict French-language law under microscope at hearings
CTV
Quebec's proposed overhaul of its French-language charter is under the microscope at legislative hearings.
Tabled in May, Bill 96 is Quebec's plan to upgrade Bill 101, the province's French-language charter first adopted in 1977 by the government of René Lévesque.
Premier François Legault's government has described its proposed reform as a reasonable response to studies by Quebec's French-language office that indicate French is on the decline in the province, particularly in Montreal.
"The time has come to take strong action," Simon Jolin-Barrette, the minister responsible for the French language, said at the outset of hearings.
The bill is still making its way through the legislative process, but drew national attention during the English-language federal election debate.
