PSPP accuses QS of wokeism, an “anti-democratic” movement

Photo: Jacques Boissinot The Canadian Press Parti Québécois leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon

Marco Bélair-Cirino in Quebec City

Published at 12:40 p.m. Updated at 4:36 p.m.

• Quebec City

The “anger” of opponents of wokism has finally broken out in the Quebec Parliament, rejoices the leader of the Parti Québécois (PQ), Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, the day after the reproaches addressed to the elected member of the Solidarity Party Haroun Bouazzi after a speech on the alleged rampant racism in the National Assembly.

“Yesterday, you felt a dull anger in the National Assembly” against this “strictly anti-democratic movement”; wokism, he stressed during a press briefing on Wednesday.

This is nothing more and nothing less than a “turning point” in the fight against wokism, according to Mr. St-Pierre Plamondon, who has a “list” of “about fifteen examples where [Mr. Bouazzi] accuses everyone of being racist at every turn” without having been subsequently called to order by Québec solidaire (QS).

Mr. St-Pierre Plamondon saw in the motions presented Tuesday by the PQ, the Coalition avenir Québec and the Quebec Liberal Party, which denounced Mr. Bouazzi’s public statements according to which the debates in the National Assembly contribute “every day” to “the construction of this Other […] and of its culture which, by definition, would be dangerous and inferior”, the expression of a “fed up with wokism”.

Le Petit Robert defines wokism as a “current of thought of American origin that denounces, sometimes intransigently, the injustices and discrimination suffered by minorities”.

In the eyes of the PQ leader, wokism is “an approach that has been widespread in Québec solidaire for at least 10 years, which consists of distorting the words of others,” “distorting reality to organize trials of intent,” leading “intimidation campaigns with ‘phobic,’ ‘racist,’ ‘intolerant’ words” and, in doing so, “forcing people who disagree to remain silent,” then sinking into “victimization.” “The entire population is fed up with this wokism. And elected officials from all parties, except Québec solidaire, are fed up with being called all sorts of names,” he argued.

Read also

• Haroun Bouazzi admits to “clumsiness,” but avoids apologizing to the National Assembly
• Bouazzi’s speech divides Québec solidaire
• “Woke”: the awakening or twilight of consciences ?

PSPP, obsessed with wokes, according to Marissal

Solidarity MP Vincent Marissal has trouble explaining Paul St-Pierre Plamondon’s “relentlessness” or even “obsession” with wokes. “Me, the war of labels is the thing I hate the most in politics, it leads nowhere,” he said, after asking the journalists around him: “Do I look like a woke ?”

Moreover, Mr. Marissal said he had “the worst day of [his] political life” on Tuesday, when the National Assembly admonished Haroun Bouazzi: a “painful […] spectacle.” “I don't want to go through that again,” he said, calling for “maturity,” “work,” and “professionalism” from his colleagues so that they “stop getting sidetracked in 'sideshows“which are not related.” “A message to all the MPs on the planet: when you put your party in trouble, it doesn't help anyone!”

QS co-spokesperson Ruba Ghazal invited MPs from other political parties to “move on” after severely reprimanding Haroun Bouazzi with motions, among other things. “Yesterday, they spoke out, it was fair game,” she said.

For his part, Haroun Bouazzi preferred to stay away from Parliament Hill on Wednesday and Thursday. Consequently, Vincent Marissal and Christine Labrie will comment on Finance Minister Eric Girard's update on Quebec's economic and financial situation on Thursday.

Mr. Bouazzi expressed regret on Tuesday for the “clumsiness” of his remarks on so-called racism in the National Assembly, but still refused to apologize to all the deputies. “Mr. Bouazzi went too far. He insulted members of this Assembly. He insulted the institution itself, and that would have merited a public apology at the microphone here in the Assembly and an unequivocal apology on the substance of his remarks and not on his clumsiness,” argued Liberal MP André Fortin on Wednesday, adding that the MNA for Maurice-Richard “still has the opportunity to do so.”