(Québec) The Parti Québécois says it fears a rise of the far right like in Denmark or Hungary if Quebec continues to take in more immigrants than it can integrate. He even calls on the Legault government to close Roxham Road if Ottawa doesn’t.
Posted 12:28pm Updated 12:57pm
The leader of the Independence Party issued the warning on Wednesday on the sidelines of the pre-meeting parliamentary group. He also took the opportunity to introduce 11 unelected co-speakers who will support the three MPs elected under the Parti Québécois banner.
“I lived in Denmark, then I lived in Sweden. I look at Hungary, France, England. If we make the mistake of not finding sustainable models, there will be consequences for certain sections of the electorate,” explained Paul St-Pierre Plamondon.
“We are the only ones looking for a sustainable model to avoid exactly what we are currently seeing elsewhere in the world, the rise of extremes. »
These statements, made on the fringes of the PQ parliamentary group meeting before the meeting, indicate that the issue of immigration will again be the focus of the three elected PQ members this winter.
In the last election campaign, the PQ proposed taking in 35,000 immigrants a year. The Coalition avenir Québec (CAQ), which was re-elected with 90 of the 125 seats, offered 50,000 seats.
The PQ leader said on Wednesday that François Legault’s government was unable to close Roxham Road. This passage allows asylum seekers to enter the country without potentially being turned back to the United States.
The Ottawa-Washington Agreement on Safe Third Countries only applies to applicants who report at a border crossing.
A record 39,171 asylum seekers were intercepted on Roxham Road last year. In December alone, 4,689 people were intercepted there, a record number that is also up 26% compared to November.
“Roxham Road has been an issue for almost six years. The number of irregular crossings is increasing every year,” launched Paul St-Pierre Plamondon.
” The minister [Christine] Fréchette came out with great fanfare to say, “Here comes Joe Biden, and we’re going to make headlines by saying that it’s the coming of Joe Biden that’s going to solve everything.” It took 24 hours, 24 hours, to be explicitly rejected there. It’s embarrassing. »
Federal Immigration Minister Sean Fraser doubts that it will be possible to announce a new agreement on safe third countries with the United States when American President Joe Biden visits in March.
The PQ leader said on Wednesday that in the absence of an agreement, Quebec should issue an ultimatum and “intervene” itself to close Roxham, without mentioning how. “Quebec’s government must live up to its responsibilities, not hide behind a somewhat disdainful federal government. »
Quebec’s inability to close Roxham is CAQ’s “verbal nationalism,” according to the pro-independence formation, a stance doomed to fail.
Reinforcement co-speakers
The small caucus of the Parti Québécois also announced on Wednesday that it would enlist the help of 11 co-speakers. These defeated PQ candidates will take turns coming to the National Assembly to brief the media on their areas of expertise. Eight of the eleven speakers are women.
“As we expand the group, we will look for gender diversity and regional diversity, age, etc. ‘ remarked the chef.
The PQ also this week appointed Méganne Perry Mélançon as spokesperson for the PQ. Unlike co-speakers, this position is remunerated.