First Bill 21, and now, the Values Test
(Katarina Martins/ The McGill Policy Association)
Although decidedly less controversial than Bill 21 – a law banning public authorities from wearing religious symbols while on duty – Quebec’s new values test could raise concerns over inclusivity, racism, and Islamophobia. The test is the newest framework from the Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ), a party known for its right-wing policies and advocacy for tighter immigration control.
The test will be implemented starting January 1, 2020, and will apply to new immigrants to Quebec. The justification for the imposition of the values test is similar to Bill 21 – that Quebec should have tighter regulations on who should be allowed to live in the province and how they should conduct themselves.
Immigration minister Simon Jolin-Barrettte released five sample questions from the test but refused to disclose the specific format as to maintain its integrity. All five questions are fact-based and are meant to reflect the Common Values of Quebec Society. The actual test will be administered online and will consist of 20 multiple-choice questions. Aspiring immigrants will have an unlimited number of times to pass.
Originally, the CAQ intended to expel immigrants from Quebec who did not pass after 4 years of living in the province. However, given that it’s unlikely for Ottawa to enforce the expulsion orders, the scope of the current form of the values test is a lot less stringent. This raises the question as to what this open-book test actually achieves.
The existing system to become a permanent resident in Quebec is a two-step process: first, those seeking permanent residence must obtain the Certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ), an approval from Quebec’s provincial government. Next, they must submit an application to the federal government and pass various security and medical tests. Failing to pass the values test would prohibit immigrants from acquiring the CSQ, adding an additional stage to the immigration process.
Since provincial governments are bestowed with the power to decide who is considered for permanent residence by the federal government, the grounds for implementing a values test are technically within the constitutional framework. The test allows the CAQ to fulfill another one of its campaign promises and reinforces their campaign message: to protect the unique Quebecois culture. The power of the values test is largely emblematic of the perceived secular and racist sentiment of Bill 21, but it will have substantive effects if implemented in any form.
The test comes at a contentious time. Bill 21 has resulted in a national outcry against outwardly racist and Islamophobic policies. Research carried out by Quebec’s Human Rights Commission called on the government to recognize the serious permeance of discrimination and to address the issue more directly. The bill is expected to eventually reach the Canadian Supreme Court, though the timeline for this is too slow for any concrete predictions. Further, the effects of any court ruling to be implemented and felt in provincial law could take years.
While the values test does not face the same scrutiny that Bill 21 does on the basis of constitutionality, it appears to symbolize the same discriminatory framework of policy-making. Contrary to the weight Jolin-Barrettte places on the format or content of the test, what is being questioned is not at all the format or the structure, but the test itself. It may be fairly easy to pass and the questions may be fact-based, but the test itself seeks to minimize any disparities in attitude to Quebecois values. It has been speculated that for immigrants already living in Quebec and those affected by Bill 21, the test creates an even more unwelcome atmosphere; it’s a continued reminder of the divide between “us” and “them”.
The test may not go as far as expelling immigrants, but it is in no way a reversal of the agenda exemplified by Bill 21 - if anything, the CAQ’s willingness to go forth with implementing the test shows that they are unwavered by the widespread outcry against the bill. The CAQ appears to be affirmed to the belief that Quebec is losing its cultural and secular identity because of immigrants, and will not stop at just Bill 21.