Committee rejects Liberal proposal to require 5 French courses in English CEGEPs
A new proposal from the Quebec Liberals to mandate anglophone students at English-language CEGEPs to take five second-language French courses instead of the party's original idea of three core French courses was swiftly rejected Thursday.
The Liberals' Hélène David, the MNA for Marguerite-Bourgeoys, pitched the sub-amendment on Wednesday as a compromise to the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government's Bill 96 during a committee review of the proposed legislation.
However, the CAQ members on the committee voted against it, including the party's minister in charge of the file, Simon Jolin-Barette, which Liberal MNA David Birnbaum called "absolutely deplorable."
"We had a compromise that the CEGEP leadership told us could work, that the minister knew could work, and he said no," Birnbaum said.
Jolin-Barette, the minister responsible for the French language in Quebec, had asked for more time to reflect on the Liberal proposal and consult with CEGEPs, but the PQ refused and demanded a vote be held Thursday.
Political analyst and former Liberal MNA David Heurtel said the CAQ had no choice but to vote no so as to not appear soft on protecting French in Quebec.
"Five-and-a-half months away from an election, the CAQ does not want to be tagged with that because their core vote is francophone nationalists."
The English Parents Committee Association said Thursday that neither proposition is tolerable.
"We will not accept anything but a total removal of that amendment, it has no place in Bill 96," said the association's president, Kathy Korakakis.
The Liberals' original proposition proved unpopular with CEGEPs and non-francophones, with polls showing their support declining since the idea was first floated.
The Parti Quebecois abstained in the vote after leader Pascal Berube said it's not his job to fix the Liberal's mess, in reference to the major about-face from the party last week.
The Liberals offered their "mea culpa" after acknowledging that it was a mistake back in February to propose the three core French class amendment to Bill 96.
-- With files from CTV News Montreal's Andrew Brennan
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
Suter scores late goal, clinches series for Canucks
Pius Suter scored with 1:39 left and the Vancouver Canucks advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night in Game 6.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
The kids from 'Mrs. Doubtfire are all SUPER grown up now, and we're not OK
The adorable trio of child actors from the 1993 classic comedy 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' which starred the late and great Robin Williams, are all grown up and looking back on their seminal time together.
Hulk Hogan, hurricanes and a blockbuster recording: A week in review of the Trump hush money trial
Crucial witnesses took the stand in the second week of testimony in Donald Trump's hush money trial, including a California lawyer who negotiated deals at the center of the case and a longtime adviser to the former president.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Drone footage shows Ukrainian village battered to ruins as residents flee Russian advance
The Ukrainian village of Ocheretyne has been battered by fighting, drone footage obtained by The Associated Press shows. The village has been a target for Russian forces in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine.
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
Parliamentary report on Emergencies Act decision is 18 months past due — and counting
The erstwhile group of senators and MPs studying the federal government's invocation of the Emergencies Act over the "Freedom Convoy" was supposed to present its findings in December. December of 2022, that is.