Quebec’s Charter of Values: Preliminaries to the Charter

Implications of state sovereignty over education, religion and
ethics

 Sean Murphy*

 Introduction

It appears from Quebec government policy documents describing its proposed Charter of Values (the precise language of which has yet to be released) that it considers physicians and other health care workers to be state functionaries because they are engaged in the delivery of “public” health care.  As state functionaries, they will be forbidden to wear noticeable religious symbols or clothing, unless local authorities exempt them from this restriction.

However, no exemptions will be allowed to parts of the Charter that will impose secularism and restrict accommodation of religious beliefs.  These are central government policies that are to be enacted through the Charter of Values and related legislation.  This gives rise to an important question.

Will the government of Quebec – sooner or later –  use its Charter of Values to suppress freedom of conscience and religion among health care workers?

An answer to the question is suggested by a review of the Quebec government’s continuing efforts to establish state hegemony in the moral and ethical education of children. . .  Full Text

 

Quebec’s Charter of Values: government policy document

Parce que nos valeurs, on y croit | Because we believe in our values

Document d’orientation | Policy Document

Orientations gouvernmentales en matière d’encadrement des demandes d’accommodement religieux, d’affirmation des valeurs de la société Québécoise ainsi que du caractère laïque des institutions de l’état Governmental guidelines for managing applications for religious accommodation, affirmation of the values ​​of Quebec society and the secular nature of the state institutions

Full Translation

Quebec’s Charter of Values: Outline of government proposals and rationale

Parce que nos valeurs, on y croit  |   Because we believe in our values

Propositions gouvernementales |   Governmental propositions

Mot de Bernard Drainville | A word from Bernard Drainville

Au Québec, la question des accommodements religieux n’est toujours pas réglée. Dans son discours inaugural, la première ministre, Mme Pauline Marois, rappelait que les questions soulevées par la « crise » des accommodements raisonnables étaient encore en suspens. Le gouvernement a pris l’engagement ferme de les clarifier. Les propositions que nous vous soumettons respectent cet engagement. In Quebec, the issue of religious accommodation is still not resolved. In her inaugural speech, Prime Minister Pauline Marois recalled that the issues raised by the “crisis” of reasonable accommodations were outstanding. The government has a firm commitment to clarify them. The proposals we submit meet this commitment.

Full translation

Hearings on Quebec Bill 52: Quebec Association of Gerontology

Catherine Geoffroy, Nathalie Adams

Thursday, 3 October 2013 – Vol. 43 N° 42

Note: The following translation is the product of a first run through Google Translate.  In most cases it is  sufficient to identify statements of interest, but more careful translation is  required to properly understand the text.  Translation block numbers (T#) have been assigned by the Project as references to facilitate analysis and discussion.

Original Text

T#

Caution: raw machine translation
 (version non révisée)
Unrevised version
Le Président (M. Bergman) : À l’ordre, s’il vous plaît! Alors, je souhaite la bienvenue à l’Association québécoise de gérontologie. Et vous avez 15 minutes pour faire votre présentation, suivie d’un échange avec les membres de la commission. Je vous demande pour… nous donner vos noms, vos titres. Et le prochain 15 minutes, c’est à vous pour faire votre présentation. 001 The Chairman (Mr. Bergman): Order, please! So I welcome the Quebec Association of Gerontology. And you have 15 minutes to make your presentation, followed by a discussion with the members of the commission. I ask you … to give us your name, your title. And the next 15 minutes, it’s up to you to make your presentation.
Mme Geoffroy (Catherine) : Merci beaucoup. M. le Président, Mme la ministre déléguée, Mmes et MM. les parlementaires, l’Association québécoise de gérontologie — que j’appellerai l’AQG pendant toute la présentation — tient d’abord à remercier la Commission de la santé et des services sociaux de lui donner l’occasion de présenter ses commentaires et ses recommandations relativement au projet de loi n° 52, loi concernant les soins de vie. Nous félicitons et remercions la Commission spéciale d’avoir eu le courage de proposer un projet de loi qui a suscité beaucoup de discussions très passionnées, mais dans un esprit démocratique. Les consultations sauront enrichir son contenu. 002 Ms. Geoffroy (Catherine): Thank you. Mr. President, the Minister Ms, Mrs and Mr. parliamentarians, the Quebec Association of Gerontology – I call GQA throughout the presentation – is to thank the Board of Health and Social Services to give him the opportunity to present its comments and recommendations respect to Bill No. 52, an act respecting life care. We congratulate and thank the Special Commission for having the courage to propose a bill that created a lot of very heated discussions, but in a democratic spirit. Consultations will enrich its content.

Full Translation

Priest resigns after Mater Hospital agrees to comply with Irish abortion law

Father Kevin Doran of Dublin has resigned from the board of the Mater Hospital following its public statement that it would comply with the new Irish abortion law, which has not yet come into effect.  Fr. Doran had previously said that it would be inconsistent with the Catholic ethos of the hospital to provide abortions.  The Catholic Archbishop of Dublin in making enquiries about the hospital’s position. [The Journal]