While multiculturalism is used to refer to a society where all cultural and racial groups live side by side and have equal rights and opportunities, interculturalism would specify the existence of a francophone majority in North America.

QUEBEC — Declared and potential Liberal leadership candidates have endorsed the idea of pressing ahead with the concept of interculturalism as a way of reconnecting with nationalist francophone voters.

And the interim leader of the party, Pierre Arcand, noted interculturalism has been on the Liberal books for 40 years, even if some may have forgotten and believed multiculturalism was party policy as is the case for the federal Liberals.

Distroscale

“If you look at the history of the Liberal Party (interculturalism) has been at the heart (of its vision),” Liberal leadership candidate Dominique Anglade said Saturday arriving for a party youth convention. “I think it makes sense to affirm this more than we have in the past.

“We are a distinct society in Quebec. We are different from the rest of the provinces. How do we affirm this clearer? I think that’s the discussion we need to have.”

Anglade refused to say whether she backs the idea of actually passing a law on interculturalism as the youth are proposing in a package of policy resolutions up for debate this weekend.

Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

“I think we will listen to the debates,” Anglade said. “But I am very open to pressing forward with the notion of interculturalism. It could be a policy. It could be a law. I want to hear the debate.”

Former Liberal health minister Gaétan Barrette, who said he is still mulling a possible run as leader of the Quebec Liberals, went further, saying the Liberals strayed too far toward multiculturalism — certainly at the level of perception among voters.

He then strongly condemned the position against interculturalism taken this week by the president the Liberal Party’s cultural communities committee, Mohammed Barhone

“I totally disagree with the position taken by Mr. Barhone,” Barrette said, strolling into the youth convention being held at the Université Laval in Quebec City.

Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

“It’s not true that I can endorse a concept of multiculturalism, where Quebec’s francophone culture is just one among many others. That is something I will never adhere to.

“I totally recognize that on this subject we were not in tune with Quebecers and did not affirm ourselves firmly enough. That means we didn’t express it enough.

“One thing is certain, the French fact of Quebec is not something we can underplay. We cannot dilute this in a position (on multiculturalism) as has happened in the past.”

The debate roared to life this week after the Liberal youth wing released a package of resolutions. One calls for the party to adopt a law (if elected) enshrining the concept of interculturalism as its diversity philosophy when it comes welcoming and integrating new arrivals.

Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

While multiculturalism is used to refer to a society where all cultural and racial groups live side by side and have equal rights and opportunities, interculturalism would specify the existence of a francophone majority in North America.

The Liberal youth plan would state French is the language of interaction between the majority and the minority and promote and reinforce Quebec’s culture as a “source of social cohesion,” at the same time as showing respect for ethnocultural diversity.

The premise is that Quebec needs to defend its national culture against the gradual erosion in a North American anglophone context.

“This common (Quebec) culture must serve as the pedestal for the integration of new arrivals,” the youth wing document states noting former Liberal leader Robert Bourassa always considered multiculturalism poorly adapted to the Quebec reality.

Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

The youth attending the convention will debate the issue Sunday morning. Saturday’s debate was focused on adopting a new sustainable development green policy.

Specifically, the youth adopted a motion saying if elected a Liberal government would immediately declare a “state of climate emergency,” as well as adopt a law obliging any government in power to respect emission reduction targets.

Adopting a law on interculturalism was one of the recommendations of the 2008 Bouchard-Taylor commission, which looked into majority-minority relations in Quebec. That commission noted the concept has been used for years to define relations between communities.

But it is steeped in controversy. Earlier this week, Barhone rejected the idea, saying it creates a hierarchy of Quebecers. He said only true multiculturalism would ensure equality.

Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Arriving later for the convention, Saint-Laurent MNA Marwah Rizqy, who is also considering a run for the leadership, described interculturalism as “already a fact in Quebec.”

“Why not go further and entrench it in a legal text giving it a much more fundamental characteristic for Quebec?” Rizqy said. “So why not?”

“Why not means yes,” a reporter asked? “Yes,” she answered.

Like Barrette, Rizqy said she agrees the Liberals, which were turfed out of office by the Coaliton Avenir Québec in October 2018, need to assume a more nationalistic profile with voters.

Rizqy dodged the question on whether the party risks alienating minority voters who believe in multiculturalism in its quest for francophone votes.

Arcand also downplayed that potential split, saying not everyone can agree with every policy. He noted the party is not dumping multiculturalism because it was never actually the Liberal policy.

“We have 30,000 members in the party,” Arcand said. “It is possible that a few are ill-at-ease (with this policy).”

He agreed taking a stronger stand on language and culture are ways to shore up the vote on the francophone side.

“Our goal is to really show we are very Québécois in the larger sense of the term,” Arcand told reporters.

As for Barhone’s view, Arcand said he is one opinion among others.

“Mr. Barhone did not express what the party currently thinks about interculturalism,” Arcand said.