Bernard Drainville set to release new secular charter proposal

Bernard Drainville says his new secular charterwill be a big improvement over the one he put forward when the PartiQubcoiswas still in power.

The PQleadership hopeful is set to introduce Thursday what he's calling "Charter 2.0" this week, to regulate issues like secularism in the public service.

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Drainville saidthe attacks in France, which resulted in the death of 17 people, show the need for acharter to fight against fundamentalism.

But hesaid the timing of his announcement was planned long before the Charlie Hebdo shootings.

These attacks are not a reason to postpone the debate, he said.

The original Charter of Values, which Drainvillechampioned as a cabinet minister, would have banned all future and current employees in every public institution from wearing overt religious symbols.

The legislation died when theParti Qubcois failed to win last spring's election.

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Reports say this new proposal would exclude universities from any religious dress code.

It would also include a so-called grandfather clause to allow current government employees to continue wearing religious symbols.

Drainville saidother aspects like the ban on religious symbols for public daycare and school employees will remain a key part of the plan.

"The subsidized private daycare centres are important and they always were," he said.

"Children do not have to be exposed to religious influence."

Drainville saidhe admits that the charter filed by the PQ should have been accompanied by integration measures.

However, election defeat cut the government's plans short.

Five other candidates running for the PQleadership are sittingMNAsAlexandre Cloutier, PierreKarl Peladeau,Jean-FranoisLise andMartineOuellet,and labour rights activist PierreCr.

Integrating newcomers

On Wednesday in Quebec City, Drainville unveiled his ideas for integrating newcomers to Quebec.

He said the government needs to do more to get immigrants jobs.

Drainville cites a higher unemployment rate among newcomers compared to the Quebec average.

He is proposing reforms to the immigration process, including pairing immigrants with potential employers before they arrive in Canada.