Libman: For anglos, Liberal duff shot on language par for the course |
As a nod to us amateur golfers — psyched about the start of the new season — Liberal Leader Charles Milliard could probably use a mulligan after his duff shot last week.
Bill 96 and the language debate are hazards for the Quebec Liberals trying to gain francophone support without alienating their core anglophone constituency. The party had been gaining momentum under their new leader, but that seems to have stalled — thanks to Milliard’s muddled messaging on language, and also the growing sense of gravitas around new Coalition Avenir Québec Premier Christine Fréchette.
With the Quebec election fast approaching, many anglophones anxiously hoping for a Liberal party comeback — weary after years of the CAQ’s obsession with language and identity politics, and fearful of the Parti Québécois’ pledge to hold another referendum — were left agitated by Milliard’s Bill 96 comments last week.
In 2022, the Liberals had voted against the beefed-up language legislation, calling it “flawed by numerous measures that go too far and, at best, deliver no real........