Quebec’s Bill 1 isn’t a constitution — it’s a democratic step backward

Constitutions are adopted through broad participation and careful deliberation, not rushed through a legislature as routine housekeeping.

In unveiling Bill 1, the Quebec government claims to be laying the foundation for a new constitution — a defining document meant to capture the spirit of Quebec and enshrine its values.

Yet for those of us defending democratic participation, community institutions and minority rights, the bill represents something very different. It is not a constitution. It is a retreat away from inclusion, shared governance and the democratic principles it claims to uphold.

The Quebec English School Boards Association (QESBA) is deeply concerned by both the process and the substance of this legislation. Governments may articulate visions, but no government has the right to unilaterally redefine constitutional principles. That is exactly what Bill 1 attempts.

For over 60 years, Quebec’s education system reflected the spirit of the Quiet Revolution: democratization, decentralization and community empowerment. Decisions once made behind closed doors were brought closer to citizens. School boards became spaces where parents, educators and communities helped shape their children’s education and their neighbourhood’s futures.

Since 2018, we have witnessed a systematic dismantling of this model. Powers have been consolidated, local voices silenced, services diminished and democratic institutions weakened. Bill 1 is not merely another step in this trend — it is the culmination.

The most troubling aspect is calling Bill 1 a “constitution.” A genuine constitution is not a branding exercise or a political platform. It binds a society together, protects rights, limits government power and reflects the diversity of the people it serves.

Constitutions are adopted through broad participation and careful deliberation, not rushed through a legislature as routine housekeeping.

Bill 1 was drafted without a popular mandate, without meaningful public consultation and without the involvement of the communities it will reshape. It protects no rights; indeed, it strips away protections that minority communities have relied on for generations. Rather than restraining government power, it expands it, leaving citizens with fewer ways to challenge overreach.

Premier François Legault's proposed Quebec constitution endangers the mission of universities, which is based on “principles of academic freedom and institutional autonomy that distinguish them from other public organizations,” says a group that speaks for all Quebec universities.

For Quebec’s English-speaking minority, the consequences are particularly acute. Community institutions, especially school boards, have long safeguarded our rights under the Canadian Constitution and international norms. These institutions allow us not only to manage our own schools, but to participate in Quebec society as full partners. Bill 1 threatens that delicate balance. It undermines the very structures that have allowed the minority-language community to flourish within a predominantly French-speaking society.

But this is not only about minority rights. It is about the character of Quebec itself. The Quiet Revolution taught us that progress emerges when citizens — not governments alone — shape the path forward. The government’s insistence on centralizing power contradicts that legacy.

A constitution, if Quebecers ever have the appetite to adopt one, should reflect the aspirations of all Quebecers: francophone, anglophone, Indigenous and immigrant communities alike. It should be drafted openly and collaboratively, with respect for the institutions that have protected Quebec’s social fabric for decades.

If Quebec ever develops a constitution, it must emerge from open dialogue and collective participation. Bill 1 narrows shared values, divides communities and erodes democracy.

Quebecers deserve better. A true constitution is built not by one government, but by the people who call Quebec home. 

EMSB Chair Joe Ortona is  also the president of the Quebec English School Boards Association