Those who refuse will be kicked out by the sergeant-at-arms, president Francois Paradi wrote in a decision made public on Tuesday. Last month, MNAs from the Parti Québécois (PQ) and Québec Solidaire (QS) did not include an oath to the King during their swearing-in ceremonies. The two parties’ decisions called into question their eligibility to serve in the National Assembly. Both parties want the government of François Legault – whose members hold 90 of the 125 seats in the legislature – to pass a proposal or bill that would support them sitting in the National Assembly anyway. Parady said he based his decision on the wording of the law respecting the National Assembly, the Quebec law that requires one to swear allegiance to Canada’s head of state — now King Charles III — to participate in parliamentary proceedings. “As the law currently stands, this oath is not optional,” Paradis wrote in his ruling. “Members who have not been sworn in may not sit in the National Assembly or one of its committees. Should a person refuse to comply with this prohibition, the sergeant-at-arms will be empowered to expel them.” Shortly after the October 3 general election, PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon said he and the two other elected members of his party would not swear an oath to the King. “In what universe are we going to force an elected Quebecer from a state based on secularism to swear allegiance … to the king of a foreign state who, moreover, is the head of a church that, in my case, does not correspond at all to my ideas or beliefs? » Plamondon had said during a press conference last month. The 11 elected QS members followed the PQ’s lead, with QS co-spokesman Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois describing the oath to the King as “colonial, archaic and outdated”.
No oath ‘whatever’ says PQ MNA
Reacting to the decision on Tuesday afternoon, Pascal Bérubé, the PQ MNA for Matane-Matapédia, said he and his party’s elected members were not going to swear an oath to the King “no matter what”. “The right imposed on Quebec MPs is over. It ends this year. The Parti Québécois will stand up and not back down,” he said in an interview with Radio-Canada. Bérubé said secularism means not swearing an oath to “a religious leader and a Commonwealth leader who constantly reminds us that he rules us because he conquered us.” As for the order given to the National Assembly’s sergeant-at-arms, Berube said, “we’ll see.” Parti Québécois MNA Pascal Bérubé says “the rights imposed on Quebec MPs are over” and that his party’s elected members will not swear an oath to King Charles III, despite a decision made public on Tuesday. (Jacques Boissinot/Canadian Press) Bérubé argued that the Legault government could quickly repeal the rule if it had the desire to do so. In an interview with Radio-Canada’s Le 15-18, Plamondon questioned the legitimacy of Paradis, the outgoing President of the National Assembly who chose not to run again. He said Paradis, who is also the former Coalition Avenir Québec MNA for Lévis, does not speak for the National Assembly as he is “no longer an elected official.” Plamondon also regretted his decision, calling it a “political mandate” from the CAQ government. The office of CAQ parliamentary leader Simon Jolin-Barrette said it was aware of Paradis’ decision. “The decision is clear: to be seated, MPs must respect the law in force today and therefore comply with the two oaths. The decision also confirms that a proposal is not enough,” the written statement said. “We have already stated our intention to move forward with a bill to end the obligation to swear an oath to the King. We are asking for the cooperation of the Opposition on this.” QS did not comment on the decision on Tuesday. The party said it wants to study the decision before reacting publicly.
title: “Quebec Mnas Who Don T Swear Oath To King Can T Sit In National Assembly Speaker Rules " ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-21” author: “Peter Dennison”
Those who refuse will be kicked out by the sergeant-at-arms, president Francois Paradi wrote in a decision made public on Tuesday. Last month, MNAs from the Parti Québécois (PQ) and Québec Solidaire (QS) did not include an oath to the King during their swearing-in ceremonies. The two parties’ decisions called into question their eligibility to serve in the National Assembly. Both parties want the government of François Legault – whose members hold 90 of the 125 seats in the legislature – to pass a proposal or bill that would support them sitting in the National Assembly anyway. Parady said he based his decision on the wording of the law respecting the National Assembly, the Quebec law that requires one to swear allegiance to Canada’s head of state — now King Charles III — to participate in parliamentary proceedings. “As the law currently stands, this oath is not optional,” Paradis wrote in his ruling. “Members who have not been sworn in may not sit in the National Assembly or one of its committees. Should a person refuse to comply with this prohibition, the sergeant-at-arms will be empowered to expel them.” Shortly after the October 3 general election, PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon said he and the two other elected members of his party would not swear an oath to the King. “In what universe are we going to force an elected Quebecer from a state based on secularism to swear allegiance … to the king of a foreign state who, moreover, is the head of a church that, in my case, does not correspond at all to my ideas or beliefs? » Plamondon had said during a press conference last month. The 11 elected QS members followed the PQ’s lead, with QS co-spokesman Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois describing the oath to the King as “colonial, archaic and outdated”.
No oath ‘whatever’ says PQ MNA
Reacting to the decision on Tuesday afternoon, Pascal Bérubé, the PQ MNA for Matane-Matapédia, said he and his party’s elected members were not going to swear an oath to the King “no matter what”. “The right imposed on Quebec MPs is over. It ends this year. The Parti Québécois will stand up and not back down,” he said in an interview with Radio-Canada. Bérubé said secularism means not swearing an oath to “a religious leader and a Commonwealth leader who constantly reminds us that he rules us because he conquered us.” As for the order given to the National Assembly’s sergeant-at-arms, Berube said, “we’ll see.” Parti Québécois MNA Pascal Bérubé says “the rights imposed on Quebec MPs are over” and that his party’s elected members will not swear an oath to King Charles III, despite a decision made public on Tuesday. (Jacques Boissinot/Canadian Press) Bérubé argued that the Legault government could quickly repeal the rule if it had the desire to do so. In an interview with Radio-Canada’s Le 15-18, Plamondon questioned the legitimacy of Paradis, the outgoing President of the National Assembly who chose not to run again. He said Paradis, who is also the former Coalition Avenir Québec MNA for Lévis, does not speak for the National Assembly as he is “no longer an elected official.” Plamondon also regretted his decision, calling it a “political mandate” from the CAQ government. The office of CAQ parliamentary leader Simon Jolin-Barrette said it was aware of Paradis’ decision. “The decision is clear: to be seated, MPs must respect the law in force today and therefore comply with the two oaths. The decision also confirms that a proposal is not enough,” the written statement said. “We have already stated our intention to move forward with a bill to end the obligation to swear an oath to the King. We are asking for the cooperation of the Opposition on this.” QS did not comment on the decision on Tuesday. The party said it wants to study the decision before reacting publicly.
