New Secretariat for Linguistic Minority of Quebec
Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard on Thursday June 15 shared his plans to establish a secretariat within his Conseil Executif that would provide representation for the linguistic minority within the government of Quebec. On hearing the announcement QFA President John McCart responded, "We welcome this latest development and see this as a positive step towards a more inclusive Quebec; one that recognises community potential that can only add to collective unity and vitality."
QFA is a part of the Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN), a not-for-profit that links more than 50 English-speaking minority community organizations across Quebec. QFA has also been for many years an affiliate member of the French-speaking farming union L'Union des producteurs agricoles du Québec (UPA) and so offers a conduite for communication for both linguistic groups.
“This offers our community a door on which to knock to express and explain the potential impact of government policy proposals on our community before they become set in stone,” said QCGN President Jim Shea, who heard the news as he was attending the 22nd annual meeting of the QCGN in Montreal.
“We are both grateful and delighted with the Premier’s decision and we offer our full support and collaboration for the implementation of an effective structure to respond to our community’s needs,” Shea said.