Milliard's Bill 96 stance tests Quebec Liberals as Bérubé frames notwithstanding clause as yes-or-no test
The Liberal leader says he'd keep the notwithstanding clause on Bill 96 if he can change the law, breaking a 2022 campaign promise.
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Quebec Liberal Leader Charles Milliard said Thursday he would be "in favour" of keeping the notwithstanding clause on Bill 96 if he can make the changes he wants to the law, breaking the party's 2022 election promise to eliminate the clause for Bills 96 and 21. The changes he wants target the six-month French timeline for immigrants and the administrative burden Bill 96 places on businesses with 25 to 49 employees, which he says "do not improve the quality of French."
The Minister of the French Language, Pascal Bérubé, set the terms of the debate. "We vote for or against. There is no third way, and there is only one official language, and that is French," Bérubé said. "So there's a test for Mr. Milliard. Does the Liberal Party want to protect Bill 96 and Bill 101 or not? It's yes or no. And there is the test."
Milliard rejected the framing. "There is no yes or no on a hallway discussion that Mr. Bérubé has decided would be on the agenda," he said. He accused the Parti Québécois of trying to send him "a curveball, because it feels that it's losing the game because of all its improvisation."
Milliard was more direct at a press briefing: "The Quebec Liberal Party has used the notwithstanding clause in the past, so we're not opposed to it … I think it's an important tool. I think it has been used too often preemptively, but protecting the French language in Quebec is paramount to the Quebec Liberal Party." In the National Assembly he added: "So, yes, I would be in favour of keeping it if I can make the changes I want."
The notwithstanding clause must be renewed every five years. The CAQ government under Premier Christine Fréchette tabled a renewal bill in May 2026, a year ahead of the 2027 deadline. Milliard said in April he would renew it if elected.
Inside the party, Liberal MNA Jennifer Maccarone said she was "comfortable with her leader's position" and that it is not new. Members of the Liberal caucus have called for a meeting Thursday. Milliard met his 39 MNAs at a pre-sessional caucus that runs through Friday.
A Pallas Data poll from early November put the PQ at 31 per cent and the PLQ at 28 per cent, with the Liberals up four points from October. Milliard acknowledged a significant gap with the PQ among francophones. Fifty-one per cent of Quebecers are dissatisfied with the new government.
The next Quebec election is October 5, 2026.
Will the Liberal caucus meeting Thursday change Milliard's position on Bill 96?
Which specific Bill 96 changes does Milliard want, and would the PQ accept them?
We'll update this story as answers emerge.
