'Stop scapegoating the English community in Quebec,' says Lametti in farewell speech to Parliament

Former Justice Minister David Lametti delivers his farewell speech in the House of Commons on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024. (Source: ParlVu)

In his farewell speech in Parliament, former Justice Minister David Lametti made a veiled critique of Quebec Premier François Legault's use of the notwithstanding clause for the language law known as Bill 96 and said that anglophones shouldn't be blamed for the status of French in Quebec.

Lametti, who was shuffled out of cabinet last July, announced last Thursday that he was stepping down as a Montreal MP.

"We need to work together. We all understand that protecting and nurturing the French language and culture in North America is very important. We need to work together to ensure they live on and flourish in the future," he said Tuesday in his speech to his fellow MPs.

"That means we need to stop scapegoating the English community in Quebec. People in this community are very bilingual and committed to Quebec; in many cases, they have been there for 300 years."

Lametti, a former law professor at McGill University, went on to say a few words about the Charter of Rights of Freedoms.

"I have to say that the Charter is not optional, and the preventive use of the Charter suggests that the Charter is optional," he said, appearing to reference Legault's preemptive use of the notwithstanding clause to shield Bill 96 in its entirety from legal challenges.

"At some point," he continued, "we need to understand that constitutional change will be necessary, and we need to prepare for that."

Back when Bill 96 was introduced, Lametti told reporters that he was concerned with the law, particularly with Quebecers' access to justice in the language of their choice and their access to health care, but vowed not to get the federal government involved, rather he would only intervene if the law is brought before the country's highest court. He suggested in 2022 that Legault was misusing section 33 of the Charter to protect the language law.

"It was supposed to be the last word in a dialogue between the courts and the legislature, and not the first word," he said at the time.

The controversial language law, which limits the use of English in certain settings, has been the subject of lawsuits and constitutional challenges since it was adopted in 2022.