Quebec Premier Legault spotlights Bill 96 at Tunisia Francophonie summit

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier of Quebec Francois Legault arrive for a bilateral meeting during the Francophonie Summit in Djerba, Tunisia, Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Quebec Premier François Legault says he has set the table for a tête-à-tête in December with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

The two leaders met for about 20 minutes Saturday on the sidelines of the Francophonie summit in Djerba, Tunisia.

It was their first meeting since Legault was re-elected on Oct. 3.

Among other things, they discussed the status of French in Montreal, the irregular entry of migrants at Roxham Road, and health transfers, Legault reported.

Although he felt an "opening" from Trudeau, he admits he made no gains.

"Look, I don't want to make a Quebec-Ottawa squabble abroad either. We'll keep things local, locally," he said.

"I have set the table well," he added.

Legault and Trudeau have reportedly scheduled a meeting for December.

BILL 96

Quebec's law to better protect French, Bill 96, was in the spotlight: Legault said he touted it to heads of state, and defended it in a meeting with Justin Trudeau.

It's important to note that the media accompanying Legault to Djerba were completely shut out of the plenary sessions and meetings.

In a press scrum on Saturday evening, Legault said he was concerned about the decline of French in Montreal. He and other dignitaries agreed it's necessary to improve the French-language digital landscape.

"I talked about it with Emmanuel Macron of France, with Switzerland, Belgium [...] it is important that together, we develop content that will be attractive to young people," he said.

But Quebec's actions on language protection and immigration have received bad press, particularly in Toronto and New York, he said.

According to Legault, this negative attention can potentially hurt international business development. He is considering buying ads to "set the record straight."

"I care about the reputation of Quebec," he said. "It seems to imply that Bill 96 reduces openness."

The day before, he told reporters he felt the need to "explain" Bill 96 and his immigration policies to reaffirm Quebec as a "welcoming" place.

MEETING WITH TUNISIAN PRESIDENT POSTPONED

Quebec is far from showing the same level of concern as Ottawa when it comes to the political situation in Tunisia, which is moving further and further away from democracy.

Legault was scheduled to meet with Tunisian President Kaïs Saïed on Saturday, while Justin Trudeau made it clear that a bilateral meeting was out of the question.

Canada does not want to "legitimize" or give too much importance to President Saïed because it's concerned about his regime a month ahead of parliamentary elections, according to a source close to the federal government.

Ottawa attempted to postpone the 18th Francophonie summit behind the scenes -- something Said seemed to allude to in his opening speech.

"There has been talk at difficult times, for a variety of reasons, of holding this summit remotely by videoconference, or even for some to cancel it and hold it elsewhere," he said.

"But our unshakeable will, with the support of our friends, has finally won."

The Legault-Saïed meeting was ultimately postponed until Sunday, as the proceedings went on until late Saturday night. Legault is also expected to speak at the Francophone economic forum Sunday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Nov. 19, 2022.