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It’s been three days since the official seceding of Quebec from the Canadian government, and the newly formed country just can’t seem to catch a break. A bill passed only two days ago by the new ministers of Quebec sought to preserve French culture and language there by recognizing French to be the first official language of the Republic of Quebec, and making French classes in school mandatory of their citizens.
Do you know what the only problem was? Everybody representing the newly made parliament is Francophone. This obviously did not sit well with the Anglophones, the English-speaking citizens of Quebec that felt misrepresented by the fact that there was no Anglophone representation in the parliament. This was to the fault of a parliament that had taken much into account when putting together their representatives, including the assurance of the inclusion of indigenous people of Canada. The Anglophones began to riot, which caused Canada to blockade the country. Parliament had to act fast. They had to establish the government, and quick.
Ministers got to work on a bill by the name of A United Quebec, a bill that seeks to establish a formal Quebecian government, while ensuring equal representation for all citizens of Quebec.The bill entails the creation of a government that upholds the Western, democratic ideals of governing by the people, for the people, with the creation of an official House of Commons, and a House of Lords, as well as a Prime Minister and Cabinet.
Quebecian ministers discuss the official creation of the new government.
In the Houses of Parliament, four representatives would be taken from each of the 17 regions of Quebec, accounting for a total of 68 representatives. Four of these seats would be guaranteed for two indigenous people, and two Anglophone people, ensuring the representation of both English Quebecers, and the Natives within Quebec. This bill also looks to create a formal Constitution and Bill of Rights, which will ensure basic human rights, freedom of speech and religion, and judicial representation as well as judgement by one’s peers within the Republic of Quebec.
In response to the concerns of the Anglophone people, the bill includes the recognition of English as the secondary language of Quebec. This matter sparked some debate among ministers, with some suggesting Quebec be a bilingual state, not unlike the likes of Canada. The compromise was made after the Minister of Culture and Heritage expressed her concerns about the preservation of the French culture and language Quebec is known for.
It also seeks to ensure English is represented within media and news, with the mandatorization of the creation of English subtitles for French-predominant television companies and news stations. The teaching of French would not be mandatory within Quebecian schools, and instead be highly encouraged as an essential life skill in Quebec.
Things seem to be looking up for the new country, and ministers are working hard to collaborate on the establishment of a new government, with this new bill only being the first step.