Ban on religious symbols, education reforms top agenda as National Assembly resumes

Quebec PremierFranoisLegaulthas a busy session ahead at the National Assembly, with promisesto settle the longstanding debate over religious symbols, iron out a plan to cut the number of immigrants and put more money into education in his party's first-ever provincial budget.

Thelegislature sat for only two weeks in December after the CAQ won a majority on Oct. 1, andLegaultand his cabinet have made several of their priorities clear for the upcoming session.

Here's a look at the issues likely to dominate the National Assembly.

Ban on religious symbols

Immigration Minister SimonJolin-Barrettewill be a busy man. He is expected to table a billthat would ban public servants from wearing religious symbols, a proposal that's likely to dominate the legislative session.

In an interview Sunday,Legaultsaidhe wants the whole issue settled by summeran ambitious (and perhaps unrealistic) goal, considering the debate is no less contentious now than it was a decade ago.

PascalBrub, interim leader of thePartiQubcois, told CBC on Monday he's optimistic "we can solve thisquestion for a long time in this session."

The specifics of the bill are still up in the air including whether there will be a grandfather clause allowingteachers who alreadywear religious symbolsin the classroom to continue to do so.

"It's quite ambitious, because it's a very controversial issue," said McGill Prof. Daniel Bland, a political scientist and newly appointed director of theMcGill Institute for the Study of Canada.

"There is pushback from unions and from teachers. It will be difficult for the premier to navigate that."

Jolin-Barretteis still trying to figure out how many teachers the proposed legislationwill affect. School boards reportedbeing askedlast month by the Education Ministry if they had a record of how many of their teachers wear religious symbols.

Jolin-Barretteis also overseeing the province's commitment to cutting immigration by 20 per cent. The CAQ government will need the co-operation ofPrime Minister Justin Trudeau's government, whichoversees the family reunification and refugee programs in Quebec.

Pre-K classrooms, more cash for education

Education Minister Jean-Franois Robergealso has a long list of challenges ahead of him.

The CAQ promised during the campaign to improve the condition of the province's schools, boost the starting salary for teachers and extend kindergarten to four-year-olds all this despite a shortage of teachers and classroom space in manyMontreal schools.

Roberge told Radio-Canadahe plans to introduce a bill ensuring pre-Kis available to four year olds across the province.

"We want it to be accessible to all, not mandatory, but accessible to all," he said. More than 200 new kindergarten classes are planned for next September, but the CAQ has promised 5,000 within five years.

In theCAQ'seconomic update in December,Legaultpromised more money for education, as well as health care, but there's plenty of demand.

One of the province's largest teachers' unions, the Fdration autonome de l'enseignement, issued a statement ahead of the legislative session calling on the CAQ to address an $891-million shortfall in the public school system.

"The danger when you inflate expectations like that is the so-called investments might be a bit modest," Bland said.

The CAQ has also committed to scrapping school boards, though a spokesperson for Roberge said a bill to do that likely won't be tabled until the fall. English-language community groups have promised tofight thatplanin court.

A call for environmental action

Legault, already criticized for his lacklustre environmental platform, swapped out MarieChantal Chass as environment minister only three months after the election. She was replaced with Deux-Montagnes MNA Benoit Charette.

Environmentalists are still hoping for a clear commitments from the provincial government on climate change.

In an open letter Monday, six former Quebec environment ministers called on the government to pass legislation ensuring the province meets its greenhouse gas emissiontargets.

If the CAQ continues to face pressurefrom the political classand grassroots environmentalists,Legault may be forced to make a stronger commitment, Blandsaid.

Cannabis crackdown

The CAQ tabled a bill in December tightening the restrictions on the consumption of cannabis, including increasing the legal age limit to 21.

Legaulthas promised to put thatlaw into effect quickly, to avoid confusion about the rules for the newly legalized substance.

"I want to send a clear message to all young people. Please, don't use pot. It's not good. It's dangerous,"Legaultsaid in December.