PQ leader calls for new Quebec language law in reaction to 2016 census data
MONTREAL — Only people who can speak French should be allowed to immigrate to the province, Parti Quebecois Leader Jean-Francois Lisee said Thursday in reaction to 2016 census data.
Lisee said if his party wins the 2018 election, it will introduce a new, stricter language law to stem what called a worrying trend in the use of French in Quebec.
“We say if we are in power, in the first 101 days we will table legislation to make sure all new immigrants will have to show knowledge of French before they can come to Quebec,” he told reporters.
Refugees are an exception, said Lisee, who explained people who claim asylum can learn French once they arrive.