MONTREAL 鈥� Quebec Premier Fran莽ois Legault says he鈥檚 鈥渙pen鈥� to the possibility of adopting a Quebec constitution before the next provincial election.
His comments follow the publication of a report on Tuesday recommending several steps the province could take to boost its autonomy, including drafting its own constitution.
The report was delivered by a committee Legault appointed in June to study the province's rights and enhance its powers within the federation, in what many saw as a bid to please his nationalist base. His Coalition Avenir Qu茅bec government has lagged in the polls behind the sovereigntist Parti Qu茅b茅cois for more than a year.
Still, it鈥檚 unclear how many of the report鈥檚 42 recommendations the government might adopt, especially since several of them would require negotiations with the federal government.
Asked by reporters in Quebec City on Wednesday if he鈥檚 prepared to draft a constitution before going to the polls in October 2026, Legault said he was 鈥渙pen to it.鈥� Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette has been more circumspect, saying the government will study the committee鈥檚 recommendations in the coming weeks.
脡milie Foster, an adjunct professor of political management at Carleton University and former CAQ member of the legislature, said she believes the Quebec government will adopt a constitution before the next election.
鈥淎t a time when Donald Trump has been elected in the United States and there is a wind of conservatism blowing across the rest of Canada that is different from Quebec, I think it could be a symbolic element of unity in relation to our values,鈥� she said in an interview.
But Foster added there would likely be disagreement over the committee鈥檚 suggestion that the constitution should include the province鈥檚 controversial secularism law, known as Bill 21.
The Opposition Liberals passed a motion in favour of a Quebec constitution at their convention earlier this month. They say their constitution would enshrine the rights of the province鈥檚 English-speaking minority.
Charles Breton, executive director of the Centre of Excellence on the Canadian Federation, said the government could adopt a constitution just like any other bill. But if it鈥檚 to have real weight, he said, it should involve consultation with Quebecers.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not a bad recommendation, but it鈥檚 a difficult, complicated process,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd so because of that, I don鈥檛 think that this is something that鈥檚 going to happen soonish.鈥�
The committee proposed several other steps Quebec could take to strengthen its autonomy, including modernizing its laws to remove all reference to the monarchy.
But many of the recommendations would involve negotiations with the federal government and some would require changes to the Canadian Constitution. For example, the committee suggests Ottawa should be required to appoint Quebec judges from recommendations provided by the province, and that Quebec should be able to recommend its own lieutenant-governor.
The report also says Quebec should negotiate an agreement with the federal government over the proportion of asylum seekers to be housed in the province.
Foster said the current Liberal government is unlikely to be interested in those discussions, and that Legault may wait for the outcome of the next federal election. 鈥淲ith the Conservatives, who have a less centralized tradition, maybe there would be more openness for certain proposals from Quebec,鈥� she said.
When Legault announced the committee in June, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau dismissed it as an attempt to shore up political support.
鈥淚 know Mr. Legault is under a fair bit of pressure from the PQ right now,鈥� Trudeau told reporters at the time. 鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing inherently threatening about a province deciding to look at ways of improving our democracy.鈥�
Breton said the recommendations involving negotiations with Ottawa are probably a non-starter. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think Ottawa is going to say, 鈥榊eah, sure, you鈥檙e going to select judges now,鈥欌�� he said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think, whether it鈥檚 this government or the next one, they鈥檒l be interested in entering into those discussions.鈥�
But he said Quebec should act on the committee鈥檚 recommendation for increased engagement with the other provinces, though he said Legault鈥檚 government likely won鈥檛.
鈥淔or a while, Quebec hasn鈥檛 really played a leadership role in terms of reforming the federation. It鈥檚 been mostly focused inwards,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd that鈥檚 a shame, because I think there would be a big role for them to play there.鈥�
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 27, 2024.
Maura Forrest, The Canadian Press
