Franois Legault dismisses Charles Taylor's contempt for CAQ's planned religious symbols ban

Premier FranoisLegaultsaid Fridayhe's not bothered byphilosopher Charles Taylor's comments slamming the CAQplan toban the wearing of religious symbols bysome civil servants.

Taylor told CBCNews Thursday that the new government's use of the Bouchard-Taylorreport on religious accommodationto justify the ban is "very ignorant and very intellectually dishonest." Taylor, who co-authored thereport, also said proceeding with the ban would "alienate a lot of people."

• Charles Taylor slams CAQ plan to ban religious symbols for some civil servants

"First, it's him who changed his mind," said Legaultduring his first news conference as premier referring to the fact that the 2008 report recommended prohibiting some authority figures, including police officers and judges, from wearing religious garb.

Taylor no longer supports that position, describing it as a compromise he made at the time with his co-author, Grard Bouchard.

"Second, when I talk about our proposals, usually I don't refer to the Bouchard-Taylorreport because we've changed it," said Legault. (The CAQ would go further than what Bouchard and Taylor recommended, banning teachers, as well, from wearing a hijab or kippa or other religious adornment.)

"I understand that Mr. Taylor doesn't support this report anymore. That's his choice," said Legault.

"Still, the population, they agree with this report."

Legaultdefends cabinet picks

Legaultspent much of Friday's news conference defending his choice of ministers, a day after the swearing in of thenew cabinet including his picks for immigration, environment and Indigenous affairs.

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Simon Jolin-Barrette, 31, who is both immigration minister and parliamentary leader, will be overseeing two files which Legault has assured would be kept separate cutting the number of immigrants coming into Quebec and thereligious symbols ban.

Legault said both remainhigh priorities for his government.

Thosetwo proposals as well as Legault's plan to imposeFrench and values tests on newcomers who want to stay in Quebec have been heavily criticized by advocates who say they will alienate minority communities in Quebec, instead of integrating them, as Legault claims.

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Critics have also questioned Legault's choice of environment minister, former aeronautics executive MarieChantal Chass, who has said she dreams of owning a private jet and has little environmental experience.

"It's true other people in the cabinet have that experience," said Legault."I thought [Chass] would be the best person for the job."

Montmorency MNA Jean-Franois Simard, a former Parti Qubcois environment minister who ran under the CAQ banner, had been floated as a possible candidate for the file.

Her private jet comment, Legault said, was more "to show her ambition, and we like people with ambition."

"It's true we didn't speak enough about [climate change] at the CAQ," Legault said of his party's campaign. "Give me a bit of time. We have a lot of ideas that we've already started debating."

He said he gave Chass a mandate of creating policies that would be "pragmatic, but with results" and would "reduce greenhouse gases as much as possible."

Sylvie D'Amours was named minister of Indigenous affairs Thursday, despite not speaking English.

D'Amours owns an agriculture business called Gestions Chou-Bec, and Legault said naming her agriculture minister would have put her in a conflict of interest.

He said D'Amours had an interest in Indigenous issues,as the Kanesatake Mohawk community isin her riding of Mirabel.

"I also think it's good to have a woman in charge of this file, given everything we've heard about the treatment of Indigenous women," the premier said.

Economic update before holidays

The National Assembly will resume sitting Nov. 27, and Legaultsaid the government will provide an update on the economy before the end of the year which he said could mean announcing tax breaks.

• Here are the priorities of Quebec's new CAQ government

Among other priorities, Legault is committed to:

• Create a new, more efficient compensation program for Outaouaistornado victims.
• Table an electoral reform bill within the first year of office, with a plan to have a new system in place before the next election in 2022.

As well, two days after the first day of cannabis legalization in the country that saw thousands lining up in front of Quebec's new government-run stores, Legault said he still wants to raise the legal age for consuming the drug to 21.

He said he doubted that could happen within the first 100 days of his mandate as leader of the province.

"I still think there are bad consequences for people under 25 thatI would like to reduce as much as possible," Legault said.

He said he wants to make sure young adults "don't hear the message that it's acceptable, that it's good for them."