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QUEBEC — “Bonjour’Hi” will live to see another day.

Three days after the minister responsible for language, Simon Jolin-Barrette, floated the idea of banning it in shops possibly with a law, Premier François Legault has stepped in to say it won’t happen.

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“We do not have any intention of adopting a law to ban the use of Bonjour-Hi,” an official in Legault’s office said Monday.

“We prefer to sensitize Quebecers to the issue. There is unanimity in the National Assembly on this question.”

The government’s backpedalling follows widespread ridicule of the idea during the weekend, with critics saying it is impossible to legislate conversations between citizens and store owners.

The Coalition Avenir Québec government still hopes to discourage the use of the expression in favour of a simple Bonjour. But by 9 a.m. Monday, it had returned to Quebec’s traditional position, which is to create incentives rather than legislation.