By Betrand Guibord, president, CCMM–CSN

The past few months have been marked by an unprecedented offensive by the CAQ against the rights of the population, to which we responded with the “Stand Together” campaign and sustained mobilization alongside our allies. This mobilization has had significant results, which deserve to be celebrated!

Bills that belong in the dustbin of history

The first piece of good news in recent weeks was the demise of Bill 20 a few weeks ago, benefiting housing co-ops, which thus retained their autonomy in choosing their members.

Other bills have followed it into the dustbin of history, including some of the most significant, notably Bill 1, the “constitutional law” that we have denounced in every forum for several months. We were deeply reassured and satisfied by its withdrawal, which we had been demanding alongside more than 800 Quebec organizations. We avoided the worst thanks to sustained and determined mobilization. A huge thank you to the Ligue des droits et libertés for not only sounding the alarm, but also for bringing groups together to fight against this despicable bill, which aimed only to weaken the democratic power of civil society.

We haven’t heard as much about Bill 5, but we can also breathe a deep sigh of relief following its withdrawal. This was Quebec’s counterpart to the federal Bill C-5, which aimed to accelerate the approval processes for “projects of national importance,” in other words, to bypass the usual oversight mechanisms. This would have opened the door wide to environmental destruction, collusion, and corruption. We dodged a bullet!

Another concession by the CAQ in favor of human rights: the reopening of the Quebec Experience Program (PEQ), whose announced closure at the beginning of the year had rightly caused outrage. We campaigned alongside migrant rights groups to denounce this unjust and inhumane decision. Even though the government took a long time to move from words to action, which has had consequences, the reopening of the PEQ is now guaranteed for 2 years, something we can only welcome. However, we must remain vigilant to ensure that the rights of all migrants are respected in the procedures to come, which is not a given.

It was popular pressure that made them give in

The reason for these legislative setbacks is simple: the united and combative mobilization of groups and activists, among those our affiliated unions and their members. The government will never admit it, but it was popular pressure that ensured these bills, and not others, were defeated. We can be proud of the work accomplished with our allies! This demonstrates that our mobilization efforts can have, and regularly do have, real effects, which should never be forgotten.

As the saying goes, a broken clock is right twice a day. We must therefore highlight the adoption of Bill 4, known as the “Gabie Renaud Bill,” which will allow people who have doubts about their partner’s past to access their criminal record for domestic violence. In our time, when violence and femicides are on the rise, we should welcome the adoption of this bill, which will protect both men and women who fear an abusive partner.

Despite these victories, now is not the time to let our guard down

This end of the parliamentary session marks the end of one of the worst governments in Quebec’s history. We should rejoice, but also remember that the future remains deeply uncertain, as four of the parties running in the next election are proposing very similar platforms, certainly not to the advantage of workers. We must continue to increase pressure to ensure that the next Quebec government repeals the freedom-curbing bills passed by the CAQ during the last two mandates and adopts measures that serve the interests of the entire population: environmental protection, protection of workers’ rights, massive reinvestment in the social safety net, the fight against inflation, the construction of social housing, and the fight against all forms of discrimination.

Now is not the time to let our guard down! On the contrary, we must take advantage of the summer to rally even more people to our demands, particularly those put forward as part of the “Stand Together” campaign. Our next big event: September 7th at Lalancette Park for the Season Opening Fair.

Solidarity!