Photo: Adrian Wyld Archives The Canadian Press Bloc member René Villemure said he was “surprised” to reach the point of asking for a vote and implored his colleague Francis Drouin to accept “the only verdict that is required” by leaving on his own.
Michel Saba – The Canadian Press in Ottawa
Published yesterday at 2:50 p.m. Updated yesterday at 9:12 p.m.
- Canada
Franco-Ontarian MP Francis Drouin is not at the end of his troubles. Calls for his resignation from his position as president of the Canadian section of the Parliamentary Assembly of La Francophonie (APF) will be directly reflected in the organization's authorities, while an extraordinary general assembly has been convened to discuss the question.
“We are going to table a motion which will ask that the members vote on the resignation of Mr. Drouin,” the Bloc member confirmed to The Canadian Press on Friday. René Villemure, one of the two vice-presidents of the Canadian branch of the parliamentary organization.
Mr. Villemure – who signed with 16 other Bloc colleagues a letter requesting the meeting – judges that the file did not end with the apologies, presented Thursday “with immense reluctance” according to him, by Mr. Drouin for having qualified “full of shit” and “extremists” two witnesses who campaign for the protection of French in Quebec.
« The background of his thoughts »
Three days earlier, the two witnesses, an independent researcher and a CEGEP professor, had explained, based on Statistics Canada data, that when a French or allophone attends an English-speaking university or CEGEP, this significantly increases the probability of leading their life in English.
During this stormy committee meeting permanent official languages, MP Drouin launched the controversial words after asking them if they sincerely believe “that the big problem with anglicization in Quebec is McGill and Dawson College.”
Also read
- MP Francis Drouin apologizes to the witnesses he described as “full of crap”
- The Bloc wants Drouin to leave the presidency of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie
- The expert described as “full of crap” made simplistic remarks, justifies Francis Drouin
However, although Mr. Drouin apologizes for not having offered the witnesses “a respectful environment” with regard to the words spoken, “the depth of his thoughts remains no less” since he continues to deny “the facts” and “trivialize” the fate of the Francophonie, argues Mr. Villemure.
The Bloc MP considers this “unacceptable, period” for the man he describes as “Canada's first elected diplomat” in matters of Francophonie.
Francis Drouin not only serves as president of the Canadian chapter of the APF, but he is also president of the organization internationally.
After presenting his apologies, the MP Drouin told reporters that “I have said everything I had to say” when asked if he intends to resign as president.
Pressure to resign
René Villemure said he was “surprised” to reach the point of asking for a vote and implored his colleague to accept “the only verdict that is required” by leaving on his own. “It’s better than getting fired,” he said.
For the moment, the leaders of the Bloc Québécois and the Conservative Party of Canada, Yves-François Blanchet and Pierre Poilievre, have spoken in the House of Commons to demand that Mr. Drouin resign from his functions at the APF, but the Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his ministers continue to defend him tooth and nail, noting that their colleague has apologized.
In a written statement, the spokesperson for New Democratic Party in terms of official languages, Niki Ashton, indicated on Friday that she “difficult to see” how Mr. Drouin could remain president of the APF “after having lacked respect and treated witnesses like that”.
The statutes of the Canadian section of the APF specify that “any senator or deputy” can be a member. It is not required that they speak French.
The Parliament of Canada page dedicated to the organization reveals that it had 88 members as of Friday morning. A calculation conducted by The Canadian Press reveals that 53.4% of members are Bloc, Conservatives or New Democrats.
Parliamentarians can become members for up to seven days before the meeting. Mr. Villemure also noted that five members have been added since the beginning of the week.
The notice of meeting, which was sent Thursday evening in French but also in English, specifies that the meeting is to be held on Thursday, May 23, at 6:30 p.m.