Dominique Anglade, during an editorial table of the cultural communities, responded to a journalist’s question, who said that François Legault “does not seem to like immigrants”. The Liberal leader later clarified that “this is the message he is sending”.
Posted at 7:08 p.m
Fanny Levesque The press
“François Legault, he doesn’t seem to like immigrants,” said a Chinese media journalist in English with Dominique Anglade, who attended an editorial table of cultural communities on Monday. Which the Liberal leader spontaneously launched: “You think? ‘, with a touch of irony, before laughing. “How do you intend to tackle this problem? ‘ the journalist continued.
“François Legault plays in division,” Ms. Anglade then explained. “Every time he talks about immigration, he either says it’s a threat or a problem, or that it’s associated with violence […] It sends the wrong message,” she added to journalists invited to the exercise.
Called to explain this spontaneous reaction, Dominique Anglade replied: “It’s clearly the message he sends after what [François Legault] Really think you’re going to ask him the question, but that’s clearly the message he’s sending in terms of immigration, in terms of difference. It’s in all the words he says,” she said in a press scrum.
Dominique Anglade accuses the leader of the Coalition avenir Québec (CAQ) of dividing Quebecers on the issue of immigration. François Legault created a mix of violence and immigration last week. The head captain has since apologized. He later claimed at another event that non-Francophone immigration poses a threat to “national cohesion” if left unchecked.
“What I wanted to say is that in all the remarks [François Legault] he doesn’t seem to view immigration positively. The comments he makes make people feel completely uninvolved in the adventure. It puts Quebecers of different backgrounds in opposition,” she nuanced. Ms Anglade laments that her opponent wants to “feed the difference”.
According to her, the journalist’s question is a sign that François Legault’s recent statements “hurt people”. Immigration was also one of the most discussed topics during the Cultural Communities editorial table, which lasted 45 minutes. “The message it sends is certainly not positive,” Dominique Anglade said.
Reason for leaving the CAQ
Dominique Anglade recalled that she left the CAQ presidency in September 2013 over the identity issue. “I left for these reasons because I always felt that this issue was being taken advantage of [de l’immigration] Playing Quebecers against each other. That’s why I left CAQ and I think so [François Legault] never accepted it,” she said.
She says that when François Legault was with the CAQ, she wanted to “absolutely lower the thresholds” for immigration because it would be “popular” and because it would “please a section of the population.” The straw that broke the camel’s back was the talk of “kids who shouldn’t play football wearing religious symbols,” she said, alluding to the June 2013 episode in which the Quebec Football Association accused the wearing of a turban had forbidden.
In her book “Ce Québec qui m’habite”, published in March 2021, the liberal leader also addresses the reasons for her departure from the CAQ.
François Legault’s chief of staff, Martin Koskinen, does not seem to interpret the events in this way. Taking to Twitter, Mr Legault’s chief adviser denounced the Liberal leader’s departure on Monday: “We may have disagreements on policy, but I will never accept this attempt at intent. Not all hits are legal in politics. Dominique Anglade never slammed the door when leaving the CAQ. She’s rewriting history,” he wrote.
In 2013 Dominique Anglade agreed to lead Montreal International. The news was presented by Mr Legault at the time as “a great opportunity” for his president.