By Canadian Press

Singh says he disagrees with MP’s post on racism in Quebec, but demands no apology

Mar 23, 2021 | 2:39 PM

OTTAWA — New Democrat Leader Jagmeet Singh says he does not agree with accusations that Quebecers are racist after one of his MPs applauded controversial remarks by a University of Ottawa professor.

Nonetheless, Singh says NDP lawmaker Matthew Green has the right to express himself as a racialized Canadian and that every province and territory continues to struggle with systemic racism.

In a Twitter post Monday evening Green gave “kudos” to law professor Amir Attaran, who has claimed on social media that Quebec is led by “a white supremacist government” and resembles an “Alabama of the north.”

Attaran’s statements — and the University of Ottawa’s move to distance itself from them but not apologizing — drew blowback in Quebec.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called for an end to “Quebec-bashing” and Premier François Legault said he was disappointed with the institution’s response.

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Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet says Attaran’s remarks themselves amount to a kind of racism against Quebecers as a minority group, while the professor rejects the accusation on the grounds that provincial residents and francophones “are not races.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 23, 2021.

The Canadian Press