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Quebec needs to act on religious symbols to address people’s fears and ensure the identity issue doesn’t careen out of control as has happened in some countries, Premier François Legault says.

And anglophone school boards would be undertaking a pointless and losing battle if they decide to launch a legal challenge to the Coalition Avenir Québec government’s plan to replace boards with service centres.

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In a wide-ranging end-of-year interview with the Montreal Gazette on Thursday, Legault addressed the perception that his government’s agenda — which includes reducing immigrations levels and tightening the rules on cannabis — is out of tune with the reality of many Montrealers.

Anxious to turn the page

He insisted education, health and the economy — including Montreal’s — will be the focus over the next four years of his mandate, which explains why he is anxious to turn the page on more contentious issues, such as banning religious symbols for public servants in positions of authority.