(Quebec) Irritated by the jeers of the opposition, the Legault government wants to ban the epithet “draft” in the House.
The Liberal opposition constantly comes up with this less than complimentary qualifier to portray the caquistes, but on Tuesday, the government’s parliamentary leader, Simon Jolin-Barrette, had had enough.
By constantly using the term “draft”, the Liberal Party (PLQ) thus recycles an accusation often leveled by its former leader Philippe Couillard at the CAQs, to attach to them a label of amateurism.
However, the recent abandonment by the CAQ of its often-hammered electoral commitment to the Quebec-Lévis highway tunnel has allowed the Liberals to have a field day.
During question period, Liberal MP Monsef Derraji was careful to insist that “there is not only the third link where this government is messy, it is messy in several other files, […] , but there is one file in particular where this government is messy, and it is very simple”.
And this is where, exasperated, Simon Jolin-Barrette interrupted him by getting up to raise a question of settlement with the president, Nathalie Roy.
“There is a clear intention on the part of the official opposition to use a term to use it in a way that is hurtful”, he pleaded, recalling that one cannot have recourse to hurtful remarks in the House.
“It is in your power, Madam President, that parliamentarians among themselves use language that is respectful and not intended to hurt. So, I ask you, formally, to put the word on the index and ask the colleague to withdraw it. »
The president did not immediately consent to the request and did not comment on the merits, but warned the parliamentarians.
“It’s not on the index at the moment, but if it’s used as an insult, if it becomes hurtful, it could be. […] Now, I would tell you to use this word sparingly so that it does not get removed. »
It should be remembered that there are words placed on the index at the Assembly in a list of prohibited terms. It includes, among other things, “bad faith”, “hiding the truth”, “deception”, etc.
