After months of talk, CAQ government set to present reforms to Bill 101
Legault said a cap on spots in English CEGEPs is being considered
The CAQ government will present its reforms to Bill 101 on Thursday, CBC News has learned.
On Tuesday, Premier François Legault tweeted a photo of a meeting with Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette, who is also the minister responsible for the French language and in charge of drafting the reform to the law, which is nearly 45 years old.
In the tweet, Legault said it was a meeting to prepare for an important announcement coming Thursday.
"But I won't tell you which one," his tweet read.
Rencontre préparatoire avec <a href="https://twitter.com/SJB_CAQ?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SJB_CAQ</a> en vue d’une annonce importante ce jeudi du gouvernement du Québec.… mais je ne vous dis pas laquelle! 😉 <a href="https://t.co/CjAU4KbqI6">pic.twitter.com/CjAU4KbqI6</a>
—@francoislegaultLast fall, Jolin-Barrette announced plans to table a bill to modify the law in order to protect and promote the French language in Quebec.
Details of what will be included in the bill have been mostly kept under wraps, but it is expected to deal with the issue of language on signs and the right to work in French.
Last month, Legault did say that he would "probably" use the notwithstanding clause to protect its language law reforms from charter challenges.
A Quebec Superior Court judge recently criticized the Legault government's use of the clause in the province's religious symbols law, also known as Bill 21, which bans public employees such as teachers, police officers and prosecutors from wearing religious symbols at work.
Legault has said his government was looking at capping the number of spots in English CEGEPs as a way to prevent students from leaving the French system.
He has, however, ruled out the possibility of forcing francophones and allophones to attend French CEGEPs, similar to how the law forces them to attend French elementary and secondary schools.