'I set the oldest trap in the book,' Lise says of bonjour/hi controversy

PartiQubcoisLeaderJean-FranoisLiseadmitted today that his proposal to ban the customary bilingual greeting"bonjour/hi" in stores and businesses was part of a plan to test Premier Philippe Couillardon languageissues.

"I set the oldest trap in the book," saidLise.

The motion urging businesses to drop the English half of the greeting and opt for "bonjour"instead carries no legal weight, but waspassed unanimouslyonNov. 30.

"I knew he wouldn't want to do it because he doesn't believe in it," Lise said about backingCouillard into a corner with his motion. "Publicly, he couldn't say he didn't want it, so he had to vote for it, even if he doesn't like it."

During question period at the National Assembly Thursday, LiseaskedCouillardpoint blank whether he regretted throwing his support behind the motion.

"I'm not talking about going back on this decision,"Couillardresponded. "I believe we underestimated the impact that it would have on our English compatriots."

Couillardoffered an olive branch to anglophone groups that criticized the move byswitching from French and addressing the assembly in English at one point.

"Although French is our official language, the English language is not a foreign language in Quebec," he said.

The premier tried to reassure anglophonesthat they are valued by addressing them directly.

"I want to say to our English-speakingQuebecers, there are no different classes ofQuebecershere, only one class: the first class. And English-speakingQuebecersare first-classQuebecers,like all of us are," said Couillard in English.

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Caught in the international spotlight

Since the motion passed, it has drawn criticism from English communities across the province and thrust theissue onto the world stage.

"I expressed concern about how this issue would be treated in a ridiculous way outside ofQuebec,"Couillardsaid.

He said that he felt his fears had been justified uponseeing the onslaught ofnews coverage, much of which focused on linguistic divides.

"I'mnot happy to see international media talking about the relations between French and English communities this way," he said.

Couillard referenced the 2013"Pastagate"controversy, another incident in which the Office qubcois de la langue franaise(OQLF) was widely mocked and derided for cracking down on an Italian restaurant for featuringwords such as botiglia, pasta and antipasto on its menu.

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Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard weighs in on "Bonjour/hi" outrage

7 years ago

Duration 0:49

PQ Leader Jean-Franois Lise said he trapped Premier Philippe Couillard with his proposal to ban "bonjour/hi". Lise asked Couillard point blank if he regretted throwing his support behind the motion. Here's what Couillard said.

Irritant or 'mark of respect'?

Martin Coiteux, the minister responsible for the region of Montreal, told CBC'sDaybreak that while he voted in favour of the motion, he doesn't have a problem with "hi."

"It's a good thing to say 'bonjour,' but in my interpretation, it doesn'texclude 'hi' as well."

Coiteux said that for him, the motion was more about encouragingbusinesses to use the French greeting than preventing them from using the English one.

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"I think it's important that when we provide services to our customersthat we provide them in their preferred language."

The original motion put forward by the PQ called the traditional "bonjour/hi"bilingual greeting "an irritant," a clause that was taken out after Couillard objected, calling it offensive.

Coiteux told CBCThursday morningthat he doesn't have any problem with the English word or its use in commerce on the West Island.

"I do not see it as an irritant, I see it as a mark of respect."