On September 19, 2024, Pablo Rodriguez, a federal minister of the Liberal Party of Canada, announced his candidacy for the position of Leader of the Liberal Party of Quebec. This announcement is of particularly interest to us for its possaible impact on the future linguistic policies of the PLQ.
A reminder: Mr. Rodriguez was a fierce opponent of the application of the language of work provisions in Bill 101 to federal companies in Quebec. When in 2009, a majority of the LPC members voted against this application, Mr. Rodriguez, then the Liberal Party's spokesperson for Official Languages, declared, to justify their vote, that the application of the language of work provisions of Bill 101 to federal companies in Quebec would:
brimer les droits de la minorité anglophone (du Québec) (infringe on the rights of the English-speaking minority (of Quebec).). See La loi 101 ne sera pas appliquée aux entreprises fédérales du Québec 3 6 2009 Marie Vastel La Presse.
Another reminder - the principle of French as the language of work was adopted in 1974 by Robert Bourassa's PLQ, BEFORE the arrival of the PQ. Will Mr. Rodriguez announce a reversal of the PLQ's position on this fundamental principle adopted 50 years ago?
To be continued.