Immigration et communautés culturelles - Vers une politique de lutte contre le racisme et la discrimination

« On ne peut pas se permettre de garder des gens en marge de la société alors qu'ils ont été sélectionnés pour leurs compétences »

Thierry Haroun   18 octobre 2006 

Lise Thériault, ministre de l’Immigration et des Communautés culturelles. Source: MICC

D'ici 2009, il y aura 680 000 emplois à pourvoir au Québec. Afin d'honorer ce défi de taille, l'État québécois a, par l'entremise notamment du ministère de l'Immigration et des Communautés culturelles (MICC), procédé à la mise en place de diverses mesures et à l'adoption d'une nouvelle législation.

Québec adoptait en juin dernier un projet de loi modifiant le Code des professions. On rendait ainsi possible la délivrance d'un permis ou d'un certificat de spécialiste au titulaire d'une autorisation d'exercer une profession en dehors du Québec, tout en satisfaisant aux conditions prévues par règlement de l'ordre professionnel contrôlant l'exercice de cette profession au Québec. Le permis restrictif était aussi autorisé aux mêmes conditions.

Un ordre doit donc maintenant aussi déterminer une procédure de reconnaissance d'une équivalence dont les normes sont fixées par règlement. Cette procédure doit prévoir la révision de la décision par des personnes autres que celles qui l'ont rendue.

Ce dernier point est une avancée notable aux yeux de la ministre du MICC, Lise Thériault. Car désormais, «chacun des ordres professionnels va se doter d'une instance de révision indépendante», se réjouit-elle. Il faut savoir que, si auparavant les ordres professionnels s'étaient dotés de mécanismes de révision des décisions pour les cas où la reconnaissance de l'équivalence de diplôme, de formation ou de stage a été refusée, il reste que la révision des décisions n'était pas effectuée par un comité indépendant (Le Devoir, 15 octobre 2005).

The Full Participation of Black Communities in Québec Society

Consultation Document
August 2005


A WORD FROM THE MINISTER OF IMMIGRATION AND CULTURAL
COMMUNITIES

For a number of years now, the Government of Québec has been working to promote the integration and full participation
of citizens of all origins in Québec society. The contribution of immigrants in all spheres of activity in Québec is now indisputable and our society is becoming increasingly open to diversity. Moreover, the face of Québec has changed significantly in the past few decades and the integration of newcomers into the host society has generally been harmonious. Their participation has undeniably enriched and strengthened Québec, which is expecting to face serious demographic and economic challenges in the future. That being said, members of the black communities, including those born in Québec and who have lived here for more than a generation, face more challenges than other Quebecers in developing their full potential. Many of them are confronted with specific difficulties in areas such as employment, academic achievement, youth issues, and underrepresentation in decision-making positions or are the targets of discriminatory attitudes and behaviour. Their talent, determination and training are not always sufficient to overcome these obstacles.

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PQ urges francophones to stay in Montreal

Jean-François Lisée suggests lower property taxes

The Parti Québécois said it is working on a plan to keep francophone families from moving out of Montreal in order to preserve the language.

PQ candidate Jean-François Lisée said the French language is in jeopardy in Montreal and that more French speakers may leave the city.

"We can try to come up with ways to make the decision to leave Montreal much more difficult," said Lisée.

Though the PQ doesn't have a concrete plan to stop the exodus of francophones toward the suburbs, the party plans to look at ways of making it easier to own property in Montreal.

He said "the francophones are in peril of losing critical mass in Montreal. We need to do something about that."

Lisée said the PQ also wants immigrants to integrate into the French community as opposed to the English.

In addition to expanding language law Bill 101, he added that the party would modify the immigration application by adding a question about the individual's language spoken at home.

As it stands, people are given more points if they have knowledge of French. The PQ wants to give even more points if these people speak French at home.

"We'll give a premium to those who already live in French," said Lisée.

He said this plan isn't meant to scare the anglophone community and that he would be the first to prevent an exodus of English-speaking Montrealers.

Immigrants: their mother tongue shouldn't matter; it’s what we do with them that does

This morning, the Journal de Montréal’s Lise Ravary wrote a column denouncing comments made by PQ candidate, Jean-Francois Lisée.


Regarding immigration to Quebec, he said: « Un Chinois de Shanghai qui connait le français ne devrait pas être égal à un type de Bordeaux en France aux yeux des autorités de l’immigration. » (A Chinese immigrant from Shanghai who understands French should not be seen as equal to someone from Bordeaux, France, in the eyes of immigration authorities.)

The reasoning, according to Lisée, is that someone whose mother tongue is French would, not only be able to better integrate, but would also live in French. The implication, of course being, that those whose first language isn’t French, only “pretend” to live in French. Egad! I’ve finally been outed!

There is much to criticize about this argument. But first, let me do something that I don’t do often; let me defend Lisée. On some basic and fundamental level, I understand what he’s trying to say. If Quebec’s ultimate goal is the preservation of its French language and culture, it would make sense that someone who already speaks that language 24/7 would theoretically be a better candidate than someone who simply professes some rudimentary knowledge of French so they can pass the immigration test and gain access to a Canadian passport. I understand the impulse to believe this to be true, because it makes life simpler and neater. If we do A, we get B. No surprises, no defections to Ontario after a year, no government money spent wooing immigrants, only to have them be a drain on our economy.

After all, the Canada-Quebec accord, (signed in 1991, granting Quebec sole responsibility to select all independent immigrants and refugees abroad who want to live in the province), was proposed and fought, for exactly such reasons of self-determination. The province wanted more control over its immigration policy so it would be able to select those deemed better suited for life and subsequent success here. Comprehension of the French language, understandably, would be one of the many selection criteria.

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Le rap banni de plusieurs bars pour éloigner les gangs

Agrandir

Une manifestation avait lieu devant le palais de justice de Montréal pour dénoncer l'intolérance envers la culture hip-hop.

PHOTO MARCO CAMPOZZI, LA PRESSE

	Vincent Larouche et Caroline Touzin La Presse

Au cours des dernières années, une douzaine de bars montréalais se sont engagés à ne plus diffuser de musique rap, souvent pour échapper aux objections de la police qui craint la violence, révèle une compilation faite par La Presse. Le Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) dit n'intervenir que dans les cas problématiques et se défend d'imposer ses choix musicaux à la population. Mais les artistes du milieu, eux, en ont assez.

Suite

Will Prosper - Debout pour Bourassa-Sauvé - Québec Solidaire

Will Prosper - Debout pour Bourassa-Sauvé - Québec Solidaire from Pimiento on Vimeo.

Anti-Quebec sentiment

Anti-Quebec sentiment is opposition or hostility expressed toward the government, culture, or the francophone people of Quebec.

The French-language media has termed as Quebec bashing^[1] what it perceives as defamatory anti-Quebec coverage in the English-language media. They cite examples mostly from the English-Canadian media, and occasionally in coverage from other countries, often based on Canadian sources.^[2]

Some representatives of the French-language media in Quebec believe that an unfavourable depiction of the province by the media had increased since the unsuccessful 1995 Quebec referendum on independence.^[3][4] This is not supported by documented evidence.

The scope or the level at which the expression of extreme or virulent anti-Quebec opinion represents an opinion widely held in English Canada has been debated by moderate federalist elements in the French-speaking media.^[5] Some commentators have said that allegations of Quebec-bashing are an over-reaction to the usual attacks in heated politics.^[6][7]

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