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After the failure of its proposed Charter of Values in 2014, the Parti Québécois is proposing its own much tougher version of a law to establish the primacy of state secularism.

The legislation would go much further than the Liberal government’s Bill 62, which is already under fire from some groups over its constitutionality and the perception it targets Muslim women who wear niqabs or other face coverings.

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The PQ’s legislation would from the outset invoke the notwithstanding clause, which allows provincial legislatures to adopt laws that might contravene the Canadian constitution. The clause has a five-year duration, at which time the government would vote on whether to renew it.

Further, while Bill 62 forbids public servants and residents from dispensing or receiving government services with a covered face, the PQ proposal would see a face-covering ban extended to public places, such as streets or parks.

PQ leader Jean-François Lisée announced the proposed legislation during the press conference on Wednesday.