New Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette ‘relieved’ after Carney’s Charter comments
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OTTAWA — Quebec’s new premier said she was “relieved” following her first meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney in Ottawa, after earlier promising to fight “tooth and nail” to protect the right of governments to pass laws that override the Charter.
Christine Fréchette said the overriding clause of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms must not be touched. Quebec has made use of the clause in recent years to shield several pieces of legislation from court challenges, including its secularism law that bans certain public servants from wearing religious symbols at work.
Fréchette struck a combative tone heading into the meeting, which came after federal Justice Minister Sean Fraser expressed concern over provinces’ use of the notwithstanding clause and suggested it should be regulated. But afterwards, Fréchette described Fraser’s words as a “misunderstanding.”
“I was reassured to find that there is no desire from Mr. Carney to modify or regulate the notwithstanding clause,” she wrote on social media. “Furthermore, Minister Fraser expressed regret for the misunderstanding.”
