Values charter doesn't upset Harper's Quebec lieutenant

The federal government might be talking aboutconsulting lawyers and threatening a lawsuit over the Parti Qubcois's controversial charter of values.

But what about the senior cabinet minister from Quebec?

He says he's not too bothered by it.

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Denis Lebel, who is the Conservatives' Quebec lieutenant, wasasked in an interview Tuesday what it was that upset his governmentabout the religion plan.

"There's nothing that upsets me in there," Lebel told TheCanadian Press.

This is while his colleague Jason Kenney, the minister formulticulturalism, has posted a picture of himself on Twitter wearinga turban to protest the charter.

The government also says it will consult Justice Departmentlawyers should the PQ plan pass the legislature and, if necessary,will launch a legal challenge if it's deemed to violate minorityrights.

But Lebel says it's too early to get exercised.

"We'll respect provincial jurisdiction, let people make theirchoice and, after that, we'll see we'll make sure Canadians'rights are respected," Lebel said.

Asked whether the idea appeared constitutional Lebel replied,"I'm not a lawyer. Is this the actual text that they'll vote on inthe national assembly? Nobody knows."

The PQ government has not actually tabled a bill yet. It promisesto table one in the fall based on a preliminary plan it recentlylaid out.

The plan, in its current form as advertised, would forbid peoplewith Sikh, Muslim and Jewish headwear from holding government jobs, along with Christians wearing larger-than-average-crosses.

Since the current plan has insufficient support from thelegislature's other parties, the PQ has two basic options: water itdown in the bill, or stick to its guns and run an election on theidea.

So far the PQ has shown little desire to water it down. In fact,the government has hinted it might even toughen the plan bynarrowing its five-year opt-out clauses for institutions.

Although several polls suggest the plan has considerable supportin Quebec, there has been vigorous opposition and many prominentQuebecers have spoken out against it.

The pro-charter side is pushing back.

A former Supreme Court judge has joined the pro-charter cause. Apro-secularism group that held its first event Tuesday said its 60members include retired justice Claire L'Heureux-Dub.

Some members of the Rassemblement pour la laicitheld a newsconference, without the ex-judge present, to explain their supportfor the PQ plan.

The group's supporters include L'Heureux-Dub, former studentstrike leader Martine Desjardins, union leaders, and members ofminority communities who oppose religious accommodation.

Leila Bensalem, an Algerian-born teacher at a multi-ethnic schoolin Montreal, applauded the PQ initiative. She said the list ofdemands for religious accommodation at school is growing, from halalfood to separate gym classes for boys and girls.

"We are literally bombarded, day after day and week after week,by demands for reasonable accommodations," she said Tuesday.

"We've been asking ourselves for years, 'When will someonefinally stand up and put an end to these hot potatoes in schools?'"

She said religious clothing is the first way fundamentalistsbegin to exert their influence.

"That veil is an ideology... The fundamentalists, when theyestablish an Islamic republic, the first thing they ask from Muslimwomen is to wear the veil," Bensalem said.

"It's like the flag they want their women to wear. Theyrepresent fundamentalism... Even if they say, and they keep saying,'It's my choice,' they forget to say this is the only choice theyhave."

L'Heureux-Dub was not at Tuesday's event. However, in aninterview this year with Radio-Canada, she expressed concern aboutwomen covering their faces.

The judge also argued that while certain rights are fundamental,like the right to life and equality, other civil liberties "can bereduced" in a "free and democratic society."

L'Heureux-Dub, 86, was appointed to the Supreme Court byex-prime minister Brian Mulroney in 1987. She was the second womanever named to the high court and she served until 2002.

The question of whether the PQ plan would ever pass theconstitutional test has been a matter of some contention.

The PQ says its plan was studied, and endorsed, by provincialJustice Department analysts, although there have been reports that the government ignored legal advice it didn't like.

The government is also under pressure to show any feasibility studies for its plan such as the scope of the problem it'ssupposed to be responding to, and what the impact would be on people and institutions.

Attempts to reach L'Heureux-Dub this week were unsuccessful, and the Rassemblement pour la laicit said she was travelling outside the country.