TALQ PLEASED THAT QUEBEC CONSTITUTION BILL ABANDONED
TALQ PLEASED QUEBEC CONSTITUTION BILL ABANDONED
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MONTREAL, June 11, 2026 — TALQ, an advocacy group representing the English-speaking community, says the demise of Bill 1, the CAQ government’s controversial constitution proposal, is an important event in maintaining the community’s historic rights and access to government services.
Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barette acknowledged today, as the National Assembly’s session prepares to end, that the bill will not pass, blaming opposition parties for not providing the consent required to get it through. The Quebec Liberal Party, Québec solidaire and the Parti Québécois were all opposed to the Bill, as were more than 200 groups and organizations throughout the province.
“We are obviously very pleased that the substantial and broadly based opposition to this Bill has brought about its demise,” said Eva Ludvig, President of TALQ, which had appeared before a National Assembly committee to express its opposition to the bill.
“It was never a legitimate constitution,” Ludvig said. “From a flawed process at the outset which ignored the need for broadly based consultation with the population, to the restrictions and hierarchies of rights it sought to impose, to its initial refusal to even acknowledge the1.3-million-member English-speaking community as an integral part of Quebec, this was part of a divisive government agenda.”“That agenda includes Bills 96, 21 and 84 among others – all aimed at reducing and restricting our community,” she said. “In resisting Bill 1, with our presentation in Quebec City and efforts we led within our community, we found we had many concerns in common with other Quebecers, especially those focused on the damage it would do to our democracy, something that worried Quebecers of all political stripes, language groups and backgrounds.”
TALQ fully expects the idea of creating a Quebec constitution will be revived, probably during the campaign for the October 5 provincial election.
“All parties have indicated they feel the province needs a constitution of its own,” TALQ Director-General Sylvia Martin-Laforge said. “This isn’t going away, but we do hope ensuing proposals will start with a more inclusive process, a better balance between collective and individual rights, and a more complete recognition that Quebec is a diverse society and, in that diversity, lies strength, not weakness.”