Quebec premier casts doubt on future of consultations on systemic racism

The Couillard government will reconsider the province's consultations on systemic racism after some Liberal MNAs said they'd contributed to their party's painful byelection defeat in the Quebec City riding of Louis-Hébert Monday.

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"For today, we continue in the same direction, but for this commission, we are going to think about it," the premier said on his way into the Liberals' morning caucus meeting.

Four working groups are studying the barriers that minorities face in terms of housing, employment, and the education and health systems. A public forum is planned for December.

However, the Parti Québécois and Coalition Avenir Québec are both calling for the work to be abandoned, saying it amounts to putting Quebec society on trial. They've said the Liberals are trying to stir divisions for political gain.

The cost of the consultations has also nearly doubled, from $500,000 to $900,000 since July.

Philippe Couillard said it's unacceptable that some people feel they are excluded from work and housing, however, it's time for the government to reflect on whether the process is going in the right direction.

He wouldn't say whether the consultations would be cancelled, saying he wanted to discuss options with his caucus first.

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Political backlash

The premier said political backlash against the consultations contributed to his party's dismal results in Louis-Hébert.

"Unfortunately, what was said by some political leaders played a role," he said.

Other factors also contributed to the loss, Couillard surmised, including the fact the Quebec Liberal Party's original candidate dropped out of the race and that voters in the Quebec City riding were attached to their previous MNA, former minister Sam Hamad.

Hamad had been shut out of cabinet for a year before quitting politics.

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Do not back down, anti-racism advocates plead

A Quebec round table fighting racism is imploring the government to let the consultations continue.

"Fighting against racism is something noble in a society," said Haroun Bouazzi, co-president of AMAL-Québec, an association of Muslims and Arabs who support secularism.

He said the fact that Quebec is undertaking the exercise is honourable, and not — as some fear — a means of condemning Quebecers for being racist.

Other human rights advocates who rushed to react to the premier's morning comments in a hastily organized news conference also bluntly told the premier not to meddle with the consultations that are already underway.

The Quebec human rights commission, and not the premier, is in charge of the consultations, said Emilie Nicolas, co-founder of the group Québec Inclusif.

"He's not the boss now," said Nicolas, adding that Liberal electoral concerns can't take precedence over the process.

Some groups might boycott the consultations if they are no longer perceived to be independent, Nicolas said.

"We won't participate in something that is useless, " she said.