English-speaking liberal critic says he feels angst in community

[ad_1]

Breadcrumb Links Quebec

Quebec’s political parties are preparing for a language debate in the fall, with the Liberals changing the contact person for the English-speaking community. David Birnbaum will replace Greg Kelley in the strategic role.

Author of the article:

Philip Authier Montreal Gazette Liberal D’Arcy-McGee MP David Birnbaum meets his constituents in the 2018 election. “The level of concern and anger in the English-speaking community should not be underestimated. hear about it pretty constantly, ”says Birnbaum. Photo by Vincenzo D’Alto / Montreal Gazette Files Article content

QUEBEC David Birnbaum knows that the road ahead will not be easy.

Advertising

This ad has not yet loaded, but your article continues below.

Content of the article

As Quebec prepares for a new debate on language this fall in the National Assembly, a debate that the English-speaking community would have preferred to avoid, the veteran English-speaking Liberal MP says he knows everything about the atmosphere that reigns there. low.

There is no underestimation of the level of concern and anger in the English-speaking community, Birnbaum said in an interview with the Montreal Gazette. I hear about it quite constantly.

It is my responsibility to ensure that anger is channeled and heard and handled with transparency, courage and honesty. At the end of the day, compromises are always necessary, but those compromises must respect the two pillars I mentioned.

Can both fully play their role? The promotion and strength of the French language and the continued and legitimate place of the English-speaking community and its rights to its services in its language.

Advertising

This ad has not yet loaded, but your article continues below.

Content of the article

Birnbaum found himself in the hot seat of minority issues last week when Liberal Leader Dominique Anglade reshuffled her shadow cabinet of caucus critics to prepare for the 2022 general election.

Jacques-Cartier Gregory Kelley is the opposition spokesperson for relations with English-speaking Quebecers. To replace him, Birnbaum, the MP for DArcy-McGee, who also retains his role as spokesperson for mental health issues.

Liberal officials said Friday Kelley had been moved so he could devote more time to his other big portfolio: Indigenous affairs.

Elected for the first time in 2014, Birnbaum, 65, is no stranger to the topics covered, from access to services in English to calls for a strengthening of language laws.

Advertising

This ad has not yet loaded, but your article continues below.

Content of the article

Before being elected Member of Parliament for DArcy-McGee, Birnbaum worked 10 years as Director General of the former Anglophone pressure group Alliance Quebec, plus 10 more as Director General of the Association des commissions scolaire anglophones du Québec (ACSAQ).

He steps into the role just as the language debate comes to life. A committee of the legislature will hold hearings on the proposed overhaul of the Charter of the French language by the governments of the Coalition Avenir Québec, Bill 96.

These hearings begin on September 21.

The Liberal opposition spokesperson for the French language is Hélène David. During the hearings, her main task will be to question the minister responsible for French, Simon Jolin-Barrette, on behalf of the liberal official opposition, but Birnbaum will also have her place at the committee table.

Advertising

This ad has not yet loaded, but your article continues below.

Content of the article

The debate on Bill 96 puts the Liberals in a delicate position: they desperately want to defend French in order to rebuild barriers with French-speaking Quebecers while not irritating its traditional loyal base of English-speaking voters.

The Liberals are trying to play both ways, presenting their own 27-point language reform package in April that, in some ways, reflects the ideas of the CAQ’s own bill.

On the other hand, the Liberal orientation document is also addressed to English-speaking Quebecers, saying that the party will defend their right to services.

Before (the CAQ) tabling its bill, the Liberal Party put forward detailed and inclusive proposals that balance the two imperatives: the place of our community and our role in securing and promoting the French language, said Birnbaum.

Advertising

This ad has not yet loaded, but your article continues below.

Content of the article

The CAQ does not seem to be worried about the Anglophone side of this imperative. We do.

We worked to build bridges. I don’t think the CAQ even has that on its list, to seek that common ground. They arrive at a bridge and seek to destroy it. Our approaches are therefore radically different. The work is really hard, but our community must be heard.

Birnbaum described Bill 96 as deeply flawed, a view shared by English-speaking lobby groups such as the Quebec Community Groups Network. Birnbaum said the Liberals would seek serious and substantive amendments to the proposed bill as the passage process unfolds.

Birnbaum said he had also heard complaints from the English-speaking community that they were under-represented among groups submitting briefs to the committee. Of the 52 people and organizations that will be heard over the nine days of hearings, only three represent the English-speaking community.

Advertising

This ad has not yet loaded, but your article continues below.

Content of the article

The QESBA and the new language lobby, the Language Policy Working Group, organized by Cowansville lawyer Colin Standish, are also excluded.

The hearings should become a sort of showdown between groups who think the bill goes too far and those who think it does not go far enough.

Birnbaum said he was disappointed the group was not more diverse, but defended his party against hard-line English-speaking critics who say the Liberals have gone too far on the nationalist path with the CAQ in its zeal to get support from francophones.

Birnbaum said the Liberals remain the only party in the legislature defending and balancing the need to protect the Francophone and Anglophone community at the same time.

They (within the CAQ) don’t balance two priorities, Birnbaum said. They should be. They are the government of Quebec.

[email protected]

twitter.com/philpauthier

Share this article on your social network Advertising

This ad has not yet loaded, but your article continues below.

Sign up to receive daily headlines from the Montreal Gazette, a division of Postmedia Network Inc.

By clicking the subscribe button, you agree to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails. Postmedia Network Inc. | 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300 Thank you for registering!

A welcome email is on its way. If you don’t see it, please check your spam folder.

The next issue of Montreal Gazette Headline News will be in your inbox soon.

We encountered a problem while registering. Try Again

comments

Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil discussion forum and encourages all readers to share their views on our articles. Comments may take up to an hour of moderation before appearing on the site. We ask that you keep your comments relevant and respectful. We have enabled email notifications, you will now receive an email if you receive a reply to your comment, if there is an update to a comment thread that you are following, or if a user you are following. follow comments. Check out our community guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings.

[ad_2]