Quebec election: Legault apologizes for linking ‘violence’ and ‘extremism’ with immigration

Coalition Avenir Québec Chief François Legault has apologized after linking immigration with extremism and violence whereas on the provincial election marketing campaign path.

His remarks got here when he was chatting with reporters in Victoriaville about what he described because the “challenges of integration” in Quebec and elsewhere on the eleventh day of the election marketing campaign Wednesday. Legault stated the “sort of society we would like,” the “values” of that society and “respect” should be thought of when welcoming newcomers.

“Quebecers are peaceable. They don’t prefer to bicker, they don’t like extremists, they don’t like violence,” he stated when requested what sort of respect can be threatened.

“We have now to make sure that we preserve it the best way it’s proper now.”

READ MORE: Quebec occasion leaders supply competing views on immigration amid labour scarcity

Legault shortly got here underneath hearth for his remarks by different provincial occasion leaders. Quebec Liberal Chief Dominique Anglade accused him of attempting to divide Quebecers.

“When you make a hyperlink between violence and immigration, I don’t suppose that sends an excellent message,” she instructed reporters in Laval.  “It’s a particularly harmful conflation.”

The CAQ chief later backtracked on his feedback and apologized on social media just a few hours later, saying that immigration is an asset to Quebec.

“Integration will all the time be a problem for a French-speaking nation in North America,” Legault wrote on Twitter. “I didn’t need to hyperlink immigration with violence. I’m sorry if my phrases had been complicated. My want is to unite.”

Québec solidaire co-spokesperson Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois weighed in on Legault’s apology on Twitter.

“I feel François Legault underestimates the influence his phrases have on individuals’s lives. In politics, our phrases have penalties on the true world,” he wrote.

Earlier this week, Legault stated he would keep immigration targets round 50,000 per yr if he’s re-elected on Oct.3, which he stated greatest matches the province’s “integration capability.” The CAQ chief believes that cap may also enable his authorities to safeguard the French language.

Feedback hang-out Legault on marketing campaign path

After issuing a web based apology, Legault additionally addressed his remarks in public Thursday on Day 12 of the election marketing campaign.

Talking to reporters, Legault stated he by no means meant to disparage immigrants when he stated a day earlier that he wouldn’t increase immigration as a result of Quebecers don’t like battle, extremism or violence.

The CAQ chief went on so as to add that immigration is a supply of wealth for the province however that each one international locations have a problem to combine immigrants right into a set of values.

“In Quebec, our problem is de facto concerning the language and never concerning the violence,” he stated.

— with information from The Canadian Press