Philippe Couillard says Parti Qubcois 'indifferent' about Anglos

Quebec Liberal LeaderPhilippe Couillardsaid the Parti Qubcoishas "no empathy" for English-speakingQuebecersand their views on the current political situation, in light of a new CBC-EKOS poll.

• CBC Special Report: Stay or Go poll numbers
• Stay or Go series
• Editor's Blog:A surprising poll in Quebec

Couillard's statement was in response to new poll results released Mondaywhich suggestnearly oneQuebecer out of two believes the PQgovernment is actively trying to discourage non-francophones from staying in the province.

Forty-six per cent of respondents said they agree with that statement, the CBC-commissioned poll found.

That percentage is significantly higher in groups representing the provinces minorities.

"[The PQ is] totally indifferent to how our fellow English-speaking Quebecers feel about the situation. This is something that is deplorable," Couillardtold reporters on Monday.

"There is no preoccupation for how our English-speaking fellow Quebecers... view the current policies and the direction that is being taken by the PQ."

The vast majorityof anglophones surveyed in the poll 81 per cent said they agree that the PQ is actively trying to discourage non-francophones from staying. Seventy-eight per cent of allophones surveyed also agreed.

• Half of Quebec non-francophones consider leaving

Visible minorities were significantly more likely to agree than those who identified as Caucasian, 61 per cent to 44 per cent respectively.

Maroishas 'great respect' for Anglos

Premier PaulineMarois defended her party, saying they have always been respectful of the anglophone population.

• Pauline Marois downplays non-francophone exodus

"I have great respect for the Anglo-Quebecers. This community is important in my perspective," saidMarois.

"I have always hada great respect forthis community and I will continue to as leader of the government."

'A strategy pursued actively at the top-ranks'

YaffaTegegne, executive director atCanadian Rights in Quebec (CRITIQ), saidCRITIQoften receives calls from anglophones who say they feel frustrated because their rights are not being respected.

''I think a lot of peopleespecially the ones who have been here since the1970sfeel that this is a strategy that is being pursued actively at the top-ranks, saidYaffaTegegne, executive director atCanadian Rights in Quebec (CRITIQ).

Tegegnesays the strategiesare working.

''Onthe one hand, PaulineMaroiscommented that the English community is important to her.On the other hand, she promotes policies that are obviously alienating the English community and the minority communities," saidTegegne.

"It's very unfortunate that she doesn't see the English community as a benefit to the future of Montreal and the future of Quebec."

Secular charter divide

The provincial governments secular charter has drawn sharp criticism from minority groups, including the Muslim Council of Montreal, who say the proposed legislation betrays minorities.

• Breaking down Quebec's secular charter

Bill 60, or the secular charter, would prohibit the wearing of overt religious symbols in the public service.

ThePQgovernment has defended the bill as somethingthat would uniteQuebecersunder one "national identity."

Not everyone thinks the same way, and the way they think about leaving Quebec depends on their experience in Quebec. I think the experience we are having makes itvery legitimate,saidSylviaMartin-Laforge, director general at the Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN).

About the survey

A total of2,020 Quebec residents were interviewed by phone betweenFeb.10 and18, 2014,as part of this CBC-commissionedEkosstudy.The margin of error for a sample of 2,020 is plus or minus 2.2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

Those surveyed included782 anglophones(with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points95 per centof the time), 1,009 francophones(with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1percentage points95 per cent of the time) and223 allophones(with a margin of error of plus or minus 6.5 percentage points 95 per cent of the time).

Anglophones are respondents who identified their mother tongue as English; francophonesare people who identified their mother tongue as French; and allophonesidentified their mother tongue as "other."

Percentages for total respondents have been weighted to reflect linguistic population make-up of Quebec.