QUEBEC — An irritated Premier François Legault has lashed out at Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau for boasting he is the only one saying he might make use of the courts to fight Quebec’s secularism law.
“I find it pretty special that Mr. Trudeau comes and says he’s ready to contest a law against the popular will of Quebecers,” Legault told reporters arriving for question period.
“I find this very regrettable.
“What I saw last night is that Mr. Trudeau boasted that he was the only one ready to challenge Bill 21, as if he wanted to distinguish himself, in English, from the other leaders.
“I find it pretty special that he goes against the popular will.”
In the heat of Monday’s English language debate with the other leaders, Trudeau went further than he ever has in saying he might oppose Bill 21, the Quebec law barring certain authority figures from wearing religious symbols.
At the beginning of the campaign, Trudeau only suggested it might be a possibility, but he was much firmer Monday.
Attacking NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, Trudeau noted Singh had spoken eloquently about his experience with discrimination, but that he was disappointed Singh did not follow his lead and open the door to a court challenge of the law.
“Yes, it’s awkward politically because, as Mr. (Yves-François) Blanchet (the Bloc Québécois leader) says, it’s (Bill 21) very popular, but I am the only one on this stage who has said, yes, a federal government might have to intervene on this,” Trudeau said.
Trudeau made the remarks despite Legault’s statement at the start of the campaign that federal leaders should stay out of Quebec’s affairs and pledge to not have any part of any legal challenge.
Legault raised the debate incident himself when he met reporters.
He would not go so far as to urge Quebecers to not vote for the Liberals, but his irritation was clear.
“I don’t want to meddle in who we vote for, but still we have to say that what Mr. Trudeau said last night was very regrettable,” Legault said.
“It’s important to remember Bill 21 is a moderate law if we compare it with equivalent laws which are in place in some countries in Europe. It’s important that we understand the law first and, second, that we respect the will of 70 per cent of Quebecers.”
Copyright Postmedia Network Inc., 2019
