Bloc Quebecois tables motion on Quebec nationhood, seeks power to unilaterally change constitution

Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet tabled a motion Tuesday in the House of Commons asking lawmakers to recognize Quebec's language rights and declare Quebec a nation with French as it's official language, according t0 Global News.

This constitutional acknowledgement has stirred up debates amongst legal experts who question the impact such a declaration on the application of laws in Quebec would have.

Premier François Legault has tabled a bill in Quebec entitled Bill 96 which would reform language laws in Quebec and allow for a unilingual society where French is the only official language in Quebec. Many language rights groups in Quebec fear that this will create a "charter-free zone" in the province.

"Most people don’t realize the real implications and consequences of this bill if it’s adopted," QCGN head Marlene Jennings said of the newly proposed language law. "It’s worrisome. We could have literally hundreds of thousands of Quebecers who receive their public service in English at their request being denied that."

"Here is the question we need to ask over and over: why does protecting the French language require the blanket suspension of human rights?" Jennings said. Some of the things at risk if Bill 96 passes is access the government services including courts in English and the further limitation of English signs and advertising.

This is the second time this motion has been introduced in nearly identical form. The first motion was defeated by a single "nay" vote by Independent MP Jody Wilson-Raybould. She said political partisanship and "pandering" have led lawmakers "to abandon core legal norms."