Quebec’s proposed ban on school kids wearing religious symbols sparks heavy criticism

Education Minister Joël Arsenault was stopped by reporters at the National Assembly. He was asked if the Parti Québécois will stand firm on an electoral promise, banning elementary students from wearing religious symbols in schools. His answer was brief, but clear. So it's non-negotiable. It's on this basis that we were elected. It's on this basis that we worked. That prompted different religious leaders and a civil liberties group to come together and condemn Arsenault's comments. They call what the PQ is trying to do deplorable, troubling, and extremely unfortunate, and that it will stifle societal development in children. All of us who are parents raising our kids here, we've opted into this society. We want our kids to opt into this society, to be good citizens, to be good neighbours. It has nothing to do with what they're wearing on their heads, right? And so to make that the point, to me it seems very backwards to what we try and actually teach children. While others say it sends the wrong message altogether. In order for you to be acceptable, you have to conform to an arbitrary policy of what... Your appearance, what is an acceptable appearance, to the current government, what does that tell kids? That they are not members of this society, that they are second-class citizens. A civil rights advocacy group says this measure could possibly bring up federal and provincial charter challenges, making it unconstitutional. The question here, again, is the government intending on using the notwithstanding clause to shield. This legislation is from the court's scrutiny. The notwithstanding clause has been used in previous provincial laws, such as Bill 21 on secularism and Bill 96 on the French language. A legal expert says these types of bills that have been introduced over the past few years are a barometer of where the province is heading. It appears that Quebec is becoming... An authoritarian state, in a very funny way, they pretend they're not, we're so democratic, we're so nice, but in fact, they do not seem to respect individual autonomy, this government or the CAQ government. Gray says that the Supreme Court of Canada limits its use of the Notwithstanding Clause in its upcoming Bill 21 ruling. It could have an impact on what comes next.