“The dead rule the living”, said the French philosopher Auguste Comte. This is especially true in politics. We only have to think of Justin Trudeau, who tries somehow to continue the work of his father. Dominique Anglade also notes that the legacy of the elders is not always easy to assume.
In the liberal imagination, Robert Bourassa, whose 25e anniversary of the death last weekend, replaced Jean Lesage, whose reign was undoubtedly remarkable, but which dates back to a time when the English-speaking community was still accommodating the aspirations of the French-speaking majority.
Within the PLQ, the rift between the two Quebec solitudes appeared with the adoption of Law 22 (1974), which made French the official language of Quebec. It turned into a rift when the Bourassa government passed Bill 178 (1988) and used the notwithstanding clause to maintain the French rule in commercial signage despite a Supreme Court ruling.
At the time, the PLQ could nevertheless afford to upset the English-speaking community. The resignation of three of his ministers and the formation of the Equality Party did not prevent Mr. Bourassa from electing 92 deputies. Faced with the threat of independence, the vast majority of Anglophones resigned themselves to choosing the lesser evil.
The collapse of the PQ and the coming to power of the CAQ make the PLQ less essential in the eyes of the English-speaking community, without being more attractive to French-speaking people. The result is that it has lost support among non-Francophones and finds itself fourth among Francophones, according to the latest Léger poll. The 24.8% obtained in the last election was already the worst result in its history; Leger now credits him with just 20% of the voting intentions.
The member for Jacques-Cartier, Greg Kelley, undoubtedly said out loud what English speakers think in a whisper when, last June, he amalgamated Law 9 on immigration, Law 21 on the secularism of the State, Language Bill 96 and the tragic death of Joyce Echaquan. Mme Anglade tried to disassociate himself from his comments without blaming him openly, perfectly illustrating how stuck she is between the tree and the bark.
His position is likely to become more and more uncomfortable as the elections approach and as Prime Minister Legault intensifies his nationalist discourse. Already, he recovered the famous speech of Mr. Bourassa: “Whatever we say, whatever we do …”
The few reservations that the PLQ has expressed about Bill 96 will not satisfy Anglophones and will do nothing for Francophones. Mr. Legault was not mistaken: the head of the PLQ may well offer a good performance in the National Assembly, it is Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois he identified as his main opponent. When it comes to who would make the best prime minister or the best prime minister, Mr. Nadeau-Dubois is ahead of Mr.me Anglade of four points among Francophones, according to the Léger survey.
When he returned to power in 1985, Mr. Bourassa was fortunate to have in Brian Mulroney a counterpart with whom he got along wonderfully and who shared his vision of federalism. The prospect of a constitutional deal quickly led him to forget the serious grievances he had against free trade during the 1985 election campaign.
Mme Anglade cannot hope for such a complicity with Justin Trudeau. On the contrary, it will have no other choice but to oppose the new intrusions it projects into areas of provincial jurisdiction. As sincere as his objections may be, Mr. Legault constitutes in the eyes of all a more solid bulwark.
During Mr. Bourassa’s second reign (1985-1993), the Liberal caucus had a large number of members considered to be nationalists. After the failure of the Meech Lake Accord, many seemed willing to follow him wherever he went – and even until independence, if he so decided.
The current boss is very far from having this leeway. The members of his caucus were elected overwhelmingly thanks to the support of non-francophones and certainly have no desire to embark on a nationalist bidding up with the CAQ. When one thinks that the parliamentary leader of the PLQ, who is in principle number 2, served as coach to Justin Trudeau in anticipation of the televised debates between the federal leaders… Mr. Bourassa’s legacy is simply too heavy to bear .