Quebec Liberals vow to vote against controversial language legislation Bill 96

For the first time, Quebec's Liberal Party has vowed to vote against Bill 96, a controversial piece of language legislation.

The legislation would strengthen language laws, including tougher sign restrictions, more requirements for businesses and forcing students in English CEGEPs to take three core courses in French.

The Liberals now say they can't support the bill.

"There are many elements where minority groups in the English community groups are at risk in this bill. That's also why we are going to be voting against it," said Liberal leader dominique Anglade. "There’s no good faith when a government says they’re going to do something and at the end of the day you realize they’re going to go completely against it."

The decision to vote against the bill comes after months of the Liberals repeatedly refusing to say how they would vote on Bill 96.

Last month, Liberal Leader Dominique Anglade and MNA David Birnbaum would only say they wouldn't vote in favour of Bill 96, which left open the possibility of abstaining.

Birnbaum has since taken to social media, where he said the Liberals proposed several amendments to the "deeply flawed" bill, including on access to justice and bilingual cities-- and they were rejected.

As for CEGEPs, the Liberals were the party that proposed that all students who attend English CEGEPS, including English-speakers, would be required to take three courses in French.

Those courses would not include physical education or French language courses, as the revamped amendment states, but would be core courses, which some in the CEGEP network have said will harm the grades of some students.