2023-06-19 15:36:17
The PQ is thus protesting once morest the appointment of singer Émile Bilodeau as host of the evening, because he ridiculed the Party and expressed his vehement opposition to Law 21 on state secularism.
Even if the PQ does not ask for the withdrawal of the singer, Émile Bilodeau hastened to react Monday by associating the party with the cancel culture, (the culture of cancellation) and the Republican Party in the United States.
If you want to cancel me, I suggest you go see what the Republicans are doing in the USA, he wrote on Facebook. They have experience in the field.
The PQ explained its decision Monday in a message obtained by The Canadian Press.
PQ spokeswoman Méganne Perry Mélançon harshly criticizes the Mouvement national des Québécois (MNQ) – responsible for organizing the National Day show – for lacking judgment, thus going once morest the basic principles that they themselves have stated, that is to say, to be non-partisan.
Méganne Perry Mélançon, spokesperson for the PQ and former MP for Gaspé (File photo)
Photo : Radio-Canada / Ivanoh Demers
The singer-songwriter has shown his support for Québec solidaire (QS) on numerous occasions and the left-wing party has welcomed his appointment elsewhere.
The PQ has often been invited to speak at the Saint-Jean show, this great moment of nationalist and sovereignist fervor, but this time it will not.
Former PQ member for Gaspé, Ms. Perry Mélançon points out that she had initially accepted the invitation, but then changed her mind because she was not comfortable pretending.
The MNQ nevertheless believes that the choice of Émile Bilodeau is unifying and non-partisan. The organization downplayed the controversy that followed his appointment by calling it a crisis in a glass of water in an internal memo obtained by The Canadian Press.
Gold Méganne Perry Mélançon considers that this choice is anything but unifying.
When you want to bring people together, the first thing to do is to show respect for others! she writes.
“In recent years and particularly in recent months, Émile Bilodeau has, on numerous occasions, disrespected the Parti Québécois, its staff, its leader, its members, its militants. He has also shown very little respect for anyone who advocates state secularism. »
— A quote from Méganne Perry Mélançon
However, she recognizes that the MNQ has the right to make this decision and that the artist is free to say and think what he wants.
I am therefore not at all asking for the withdrawal of Émile Bilodeau from the stage, from his role as host, and I am not asking for the withdrawal of anyone. He has 100% the right to be on stage and I wish him a very beautiful national holiday, by the way. This is a political choice that belongs entirely to the organizers.
She harshly attacks the MNQ, which she says is completely at odds with her goal of organizing a non-partisan party.
[Le MNQ] should however be aware of the ultra-partisan and sometimes contemptuous gestures and remarks that Émile Bilodeau has made to support another political formation from which he claims to be. Her appointment as host is on its very face a great contradiction with the official message and with the objectives of unity and non-partisanship set out by the MNQ, she said.
Bilodeau and QS react
The artist reacted directly to the message from the PQ spokesperson posted on Facebook. We’re going to give you a (blasphemy) good show, he wrote. If you want to “cancel” me, I suggest you go and see what the Republicans are doing in the USA. They have experience in the field.
Québec solidaire for its part defended the singer and condemned the PQ.
Émile Bilodeau is a separatist who reaches out to young people, argued QS co-spokesperson Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois in a message posted on Twitter. But he criticized the PQ, so the PQ will boycott the Saint-Jean show. Putting partisan pride before national pride, what a pity.
Québec solidaire co-spokesperson Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois and party health spokesperson Sol Zanetti criticized the PQ’s decision. (File photo)
Photo : Radio-Canada / Sylvain Roy Roussel
Also on Twitter, his colleague, the QS deputy for Jean-Lesage, Sol Zanetti, asked why the PQ is attacking a beloved youth star and the organization of the National Day?
He added that it’s time to come together beyond our quarrels, to forgive and to shout good st-hhhean!!
He ended by inviting Ms. Perry Mélançon to reconsider her decision and come to the ceremony.
Critics of the PQ
Émile Bilodeau had ridiculed PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon in his crusade to have the oath to the King of England taken by elected members of the National Assembly abolished.
He then described the three PQ MPs as whiners who twiddled their thumbs, while his friend Sol Zanetti, MP for QS, had tabled a bill to abolish the obligation to take the oath to the Crown. It is in fact the bill tabled by the Minister of Democratic Institutions, Jean-François Roberge, which was adopted.
In a tweet, Émile Bilodeau also said that the PQ must die for it to go there [sic] sovereignist opposition.
In the general election last fall, the singer campaigned alongside QS co-spokesperson Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois in Verdun.
Québec solidaire co-spokesperson Gabriel Dubois-Nadeau with singer Émile Bilodeau, in the fall of 2022 (File photo)
Photo: Radio-Canada / Dany Pilote
Earlier that year, he had called for a QS vote in the by-election in Marie-Victorin.
In addition, the artist had described the law on secularism of the State as misogynistic, Islamophobic and degrading. During the 2020 National Day show, he wore a button denouncing the law on secularism.
Émile will not arrive on the scene to proclaim that he is once morest this law, assured the communications and marketing manager of the MNQ, Sophie Lemelin, in an interview recently. It is not in Émile’s mandate to come and play politics.
The national holiday has always been depoliticized in the noble sense of the term, she said.
Instead of feeling listened to, I feel more of an attitude of denial from the organizers which does not make me feel welcome, concluded Ms. Perry Mélançon.
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