The Quebec government has unveiled a sweeping new secularism bill that would impose fresh limits on public prayer, religious symbols, religious meals and funding for faith-based schools. Tabled as Bill 9, An Act respecting the reinforcement of laicity in Quebec, the legislation is the latest effort by Premier François Legault’s government to expand the province’s secularism framework.
Jean-François Roberge, the minister responsible for secularism, said the proposal builds on earlier laws and aims to ensure “religious neutrality of the state” and equal treatment for all Quebecers. He rejected concerns that religious minorities were being singled out, insisting the rules apply uniformly.
The bill proposes several major changes:
- A ban on religious symbols for workers in subsidized daycares and private schools, with a grandfather clause for current staff.
- A requirement for public institutions, including hospitals, to offer alternatives when providing meals typically tied to religious traditions, such as halal or kosher.
- A phase-out of public subsidies for religious private schools that select staff or students based on faith or teach religious doctrine.
- A prohibition on prayer rooms in public institutions — including universities — and restrictions on group prayers in parks and other public spaces without municipal approval.
- An expansion of existing rules requiring uncovered faces in public services to include all people present in public education settings.
The legislation invokes the notwithstanding clause pre-emptively, shielding it from challenges under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Bill 9 arrives as the CAQ government faces slipping poll numbers ahead of next year’s provincial election. The party has made secularism a core political project since taking office, previously banning religious symbols for public-sector authority figures under Bill 21, extending the ban to school staff who interact with students, and introducing an immigration bill promoting Quebec’s “common culture.”
Responses to the new bill were swift and polarized. Critics — including religious groups and civil-liberties organizations — argue it unfairly targets minorities and is being used to score political points. The National Council of Canadian Muslims called it “political opportunism,” while the Assembly of Catholic Bishops denounced the proposal as a “radical infringement” on rights and freedoms.
Daycare operators say the ban on religious symbols could deepen staff shortages, particularly affecting Muslim women. Students, meanwhile, worry about losing access to campus prayer rooms that support their academic and emotional well-being.
Supporters, including the Parti Québécois, say reinforcing secularism is a legitimate and longstanding project that reflects Quebec’s history of distancing itself from religious institutions since the Quiet Revolution.
As debate intensifies, the Legault government maintains that strengthening state neutrality is essential — but for many Quebecers, Bill 9 raises new questions about rights, identity and the balance between individual freedom and collective values.
