Christine Fréchette has been trying to put a fresh face on a Coalition Avenir Québec government nearing the end of its two-term administration under François Legault that had dramatically fallen out of favour with voters. But her mask came crashing to the floor this week.

As the National Assembly resumed sitting, Fréchette’s inaugural address as premier and legislative priorities indicate that she incarnates the same old CAQ with the same old political games and cynical attempts at manipulating the population with language and identity issues, to distract from its failures. 

The first item on her legislative agenda was renewing the constitutional notwithstanding clause to extend the shielding of language law Bill 96 from Charter of Rights challenges. The law was passed in 2022, so the clause — which has a five-year shelf-life — didn’t have to be re-invoked for another year. As if this is the top priority for Quebecers right now. 

This is also political theatre to put pressure on the Liberal opposition and its leader Charles Milliard, who recently stumbled on the tricky language issue, flip-flopping on whether........

© Montreal Gazette