The tone goes up on the question of the religious neutrality of the State

Photo Simon Clark
Persons in a position of authority may derogate from the uniform for religious reasons, kept Thursday the liberal government.

Kathryne Lamontagne

Thursday, September 7, 2017 17:37

UPDATE
Thursday, September 7, 2017 17:41

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Persons in a position of authority may derogate from the uniform for religious reasons, kept Thursday the liberal government in the wake of a debate which sought to sometimes heated.

The tone is mounted between the parliamentarians, then as reflected in the national Assembly the consideration of the bill on the religious neutrality of the State. No offense to the opposition, the document, which advocates exchanges of public services with their faces uncovered, does not ban signs ostentatious in people in a position of coercive authority.

The Parti québécois has tabled an amendment to the effect that magistrates, prosecutors of the prosecution, police and prison guards can’t wear ‘religious signs ostentatious in the exercise of their functions”. Also in favour, the CAQ has added an amendment for the measure to include teachers in primary and secondary school.

Without this change, has launched the mp caquiste Nathalie Roy, “a female police officer if she could wear a hijab?”, she questioned. The minister of Justice Stéphanie Vallée has not responded specifically to this question, accusing instead the CAQ to make proof of”intolerance”.

The minister Valley has subsequently clarified that it was important not to “generalize hypothetical cases”. “Is that the equipment allows the wearing of the turban, or of a different element ? It will be case-by-case basis”, she added.

Nothing to reassure the CAQ and the PQ, who have exhibited new signs of concern about the bill. “I understand that freedom of religion premium, yet, on the obligation to wear the uniform, since requests for accommodation will always exist,” said the mp, pq’s Agnès Maltais.

The two amendments were rejected by the liberal majority.

Concerns of the FMSQ
The minister Stéphanie Vallée is also said to be “surprised” of the output of the Fédération des médecins spécialistes du Québec (FMSQ), Thursday, in our pages. President Diane Francoeur expressed his concerns regarding bill 62, which, according to it, risk of no change to the issue of reasonable accommodation in the hospitals.

Every day, patients refuse to be cared for by hospital staff because of their sex, their religion, their sexual orientation or even their appearance, argued Dr. Francoeur. For her, the solution lay in the “secularism” of the State.

“She claims that secularism is a solution to some of the challenges facing the system. Secularism does not allow to make abstraction of the respect for the rights protected by the Charter and accommodation requests made in the hospital,” said the minister Valley.