Skip to Content Subscribe Our Offers My Account Manage My Subscriptions FAQ Newsletters Canada Canadian True Crime Canadian Politics Health World Israel & Middle East Financial Post NP Comment Longreads Puzzmo Diversions Comics NP News Quiz New York Times Crossword Horoscopes Life Eating & Drinking Style Sponsored Play for Ontario Travel Travel Canada Travel USA Travel International Cruises Travel Essentials Culture Books Celebrity Movies Music Theatre Television Business Essentials Advice Lives Told Tails Told Shopping Buy Canadian Home Living Outdoor Living Kitchen & Dining Tech Style & Beauty Personal Care Entertainment & Hobbies Gift Guide Travel Guide Amazon Prime Day Deals Savings National Post Store More Sports Hockey Baseball Basketball Football Soccer Golf Tennis Driving Vehicle Research Reviews News Gear Guide Obituaries Place an Obituary Place an In Memoriam Classifieds Place an Ad Celebrations Working Business Ads Archives Healthing Epaper Manage Print Subscription Profile Settings My Subscriptions Saved Articles My Offers Newsletters Customer Service FAQ Newsletters Canada World Financial Post NP Comment Longreads Puzzmo Diversions Life Shopping Epaper Manage Print Subscription HomeNP CommentLeslie Roberts: Quebec needs a government that can be trusted to respect Anglo rightsThe PQ has a lot of work to do if it hopes to gain the trust of English-speaking QuebecersLast updated 28 minutes ago You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.Anglo-Quebecers protest in support of English schools, in Montreal in 2019. Photo by John Kenney/MONTREAL GAZETTEPaul St-Pierre Plamondon, the leader of the separatist Parti Québécois, has asked National Post to publish exclusively his open letter to Quebec’s anglophone community, ahead of a fall election that polls suggest his party will win. The Post is publishing that alongside this response from a leader of the anglophone community he is addressing.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorDear Monsieur St-Pierre Plamondon,Thank you for writing directly to Quebec’s English-speaking community. I am the Montreal city council executive committee member responsible for the anglophone community, and I believe that any political leader who reaches across linguistic lines deserves to be heard.The National Post newsletter that doesn’t hold back, giving readers the unvarnished truth on media, politics and culture.By signing up, you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Right? will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againYour letter recognizes something that anglophones have been saying for years: English-speaking and French-speaking Quebecers share the same concerns. We worry about the cost of living, housing affordability, health care, education, homelessness, public safety and whether our children will enjoy a better future.Quebecers of every language deserve competent, transparent government that delivers results, which is not the case with the current Quebec government. Where our paths diverge is not over whether Quebec can be governed better. It is over trust.For decades, English-speaking Quebecers have repeatedly been asked to trust that the Parti Québécois (PQ) would protect their rights in a sovereign Quebec. Yet our lived experience has often been one of watching rights debated, reduced or reinterpreted depending on the political moment — most recently through more restrictive language laws from the governing Coalition Avenir Québec.Rights should never depend on who happens to be in power.Former Quebec Liberal cabinet minister Clifford Lincoln said it best: “Rights are rights are rights.” They do not become less important because they belong to a minority. They are not something governments generously grant; they are something governments have an obligation to protect.René Lévesque, the PQ’s founder and first premier, understood English-Quebecers better than many separatists. He famously described us as an integral part of Quebec. He also spoke of English-speaking Quebecers as partners in building Quebec, not guests living in it.Those words recognized something fundamental: We do not need permission to belong here. We helped build Quebec.Our families helped establish its hospitals, universities, charities, businesses, cultural institutions and communities. We have invested in its economy, volunteered in our neighbourhoods and paid our taxes alongside our francophone neighbours.Quebec is our home.That is why many English-speaking Quebecers become uneasy whenever separatist leaders reach out. History has taught us that such conversations often become about our place in Quebec. But English-Quebecers are not asking for special treatment.We ask only for equal treatment, and equal opportunity. And equal confidence that our institutions, our language and our future are secure — not because of political promises, but because they are beyond politics.If your invitation is sincere, then please continue speaking to English-Quebecers — after the election. Speak with young anglophones deciding whether they can build their futures here. Help ensure fewer feel they must leave the province they love.The greatest measure of partnership between Quebec’s two historic linguistic communities will not be found in campaign letters. It will be found the day every English-speaking Quebecer feels completely at home, fully respected and entirely confident they belong here without qualification.There is one notable omission from your letter. You make no mention of your commitment to hold a referendum during a first Parti Québécois mandate.Poll after poll show that Quebecers are not looking for another referendum, and support for sovereignty remains below 30 per cent. Most Quebecers — francophone, anglophone and allophone alike — want a government that’s focused on improving health care, strengthening the economy, making housing more affordable and restoring confidence in public services.That is why many English-speaking Quebecers — and many francophone Quebecers, as well — view another referendum not as a path forward, but as a step backward.It’s worth pointing out that governments exist to improve people’s lives. Party missions should never come before that responsibility.National Post Join the Conversation This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.