Jim Watson explains his strong public reaction to Quebec’s Bill 62
Posted Oct 26, 2017 03:49:22 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
OTTAWA – The Mayor didn’t hold back in his letter to Quebec Premiere Phillippe Couillard, calling the law regressive legislation, and he didn’t hold back when speaking with Mark Sutcliffe on Ottawa Today Thursday morning, either.
“When they have a crucifix right above the speaker’s chair in the national assembly, it’s hypocrisy at it’s best.”
Jim Watson says he was “disturbed and disgusted” with what he called “pandering politics” taking place across the provincial border, and he felt he needed to take a clear stance on the issue.
The controversial bill 62 is forcing people wearing face coverings to show their faces when using any type of public service, like transportation, unless they have photo identification on their person.
“It just really has turned into a real mess. And I wanted to be crystal clear to the Quebec government and to our passengers, both on the Quebec side and the Ottawa side, that we’re not going to be participating in this kind of discriminatory practice.”
Watson’s letter was met with social media cheers. Many people took to Twitter expressing their sense of pride in having a Mayor who publicly stands up for people’s rights.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also took a similar stance in response to the issue Wednesday, saying his team is “looking very carefully at the tools they have to make this situation better.”
