Record Staff
The Task Force on Linguistic Policy wants candidates in the federal election from Quebec to level with their fellow citizens about language issues at the provincial and federal level.
To that end, it has sent a questionnaire to candidates across the province dealing with Quebec’s Bill 96 and amendments to the federal Official Languages Act.
The Task Force has set a deadline on is Saturday, Sept. 11 for answering the questionnaire. According to the group, failure to answer the questionnaire will be seen as support for Bill 96 and changes to the Official Languages Act as set out in Bill C-32 by the Liberal Party of Canada.
Below is the questionnaire, developed by the Task Force, to determine attitudes of candidates in the Sept. 20 election towards recent language legislation.
1. Do you support the passage of Quebec’s Bill 96, which threatens the human rights of all Quebecers and removes the acquired rights of members of the English-speaking and cultural communities in Quebec?
YES NO
Comment:
2. Do you support the passage of amendments to the federal Official Languages Act (based on Bill C-32), which would allow Quebec language inspectors to apply provincial law to federally chartered businesses in Quebec?
YES NO
Comment:
3. Do you believe Members of Parliament have a duty and a responsibility to protect the rights of minority language communities across Canada, be they French or English, and to protect the individual rights and freedoms of all Canadians wherever they reside?
YES NO
Comment:
4. If Bill 96 is passed by the Quebec National Assembly in its current form, with immunity from court challenges using Section 33 (notwithstanding clause) – should the federal government use its Constitutional power of disallowance?
YES NO
Comment:
5. Do you believe that Quebec can unilaterally amend the Canadian Constitution and declare Quebecers and all of Quebec a nation, solely defined by the French language?
YES NO
Comment:
