Duhaime's Quebec Language Law Flip: Tweaks & Notwithstanding Clause

0:00Quebec conservative leader, Eric Duham, is flipping the script on Bill 96, the tough French language law. He used to promise a full repeal back in the 2022 election to win over Anglophone voters. Now, ahead of the 2026 vote, he says his party will just tweak it if they win power cuts some annoying parts, but keep the core intact. And to block court fights, he'll slap the notwithstanding clause on it, and actually on every Quebec bill to shield from federal interference. This marks a big pivot to a nationalist vibe, matching rivals like the coalition Avenir Quebec. Duham dropped this at a news conference on April 23, 2026, saying the law hasn't fixed French decline in Montreal. Anyway, he's ditching the old line that called it divisive, aiming instead to unite folks while protecting French without overkill. Anglophones aren't thrilled, but Duham is calling out their habit of sticking with liberals, who he says flip flop too, like their leader last week on, the clause.

1:00He pitches his party as real competition, promising no independence referendum as a safe bet for English speakers. It's got some in the community rethinking loyalties. He's targeting specific gripes in the bill, like language inspectors bugging businesses over washer-dryer engravings or forcing French stickers on, products. Those irritants go, he says, to stop pointless harassment without weakening the law's goals. Duham may lays this out in his new book, Destination Autonomy, pushing Quebec around its own show within Canada. As polls heat up, this nationalist flex could pull in disillusioned voters from other parties, reshaping the race. That's her Canada News today update, AI-powered and always on.