(Québec) The 11 deputies of Québec solidaire (QS) will become Charles III. take the oath in the hope that the Coalition avenir Québec will pass a bill making this “useless and archaic” gesture optional.
Posted at 5:00 am
Charles Lecavalier The Press
“We will take our responsibility, enter the Blue Room and make sure no one is forced to take this humiliating oath again,” Parliament Speaker Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois said in a written statement released early Thursday morning.
In mid-October, the Parti Québécois (PQ) and QS refused to take the oath of allegiance to the Crown when they were sworn in. They attempted to overcome a passageway to circumvent this ritual, which was considered obsolete.
On Tuesday, however, the President of the National Assembly, François Paradis, broke off the debate: as long as the oath has not been taken, she cannot sit in the Blue Room or on a parliamentary committee, even if it means being expelled. He also judged that a remedy would not be possible through a simple parliamentary motion, as the PQ wants, but through a law.
Sit down to vote
But to pass a law you have to sit in the Blue Hall and therefore… Charles III. take an oath. “The decision of the President of Parliament is very disappointing, but it is clear and unimpeachable: to finally correct this injustice, a bill must be passed. […] If you want to change the rules of the game, you can’t rely on others. You have to do it yourself. We will take our responsibilities, enter the Blue Room and make sure no one is forced to take that humiliating oath again,” stated Mr Nadeau-Dubois.
However, he believes that the position of the two political parties was not wasted as it forced the hand of the coalition avenir Québec. On Thursday, François Legault’s party pledged to pass a law: “We are ready to present a bill quickly to ensure that the oath of allegiance to the king is ended,” said justice minister and CAQ parliamentary group leader Simon Jolin-Barrette.
PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, LA PRESSE ARCHIVE
The leader of the Parti Québécois, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon
With this decision by QS, the PQ sees itself isolated. On Wednesday, PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon maintained a hard line. “I sincerely resent lying and perjury as the first act as an elected official. I genuinely resent swearing allegiance to the representative of the Anglican Church. And no, I don’t intend to take the oath,” he said to a press crowd.
take your time
However, he said other options were on the table, such as asking Pascal Bérubé or Joël Arseneau – the other two elected members of the PQ – to take a sit oath or simply remain on the sidelines until legislation is passed.
It is unlikely that the Liberal Party will give its consent to a speedy passage of the law, which it refused to do in June. That would mean that if the PQ MPs persist, they’ll have to wait at least until spring.
Québec Solidaire says its first step will be to introduce its own version of a bill to make the Oath of the King optional. This should not be a problem, as the Left Party already presented a first version in 2019.
The party also promises to work with the leader of the PQ to “resolve the current impasse” and says it is still open to “table a motion to allow all MPs to sit without taking the controversial oath”. “We will use all means at our disposal to unlock the impasse. But you have to sit down for that,” said Mr. Nadeau-Dubois.