Philippe Couillard releases Liberals' secular charter position

After months of delays and flip-flopping, Quebec Liberal Party Leader Philippe Couillard has released his partys official position on the proposed secular charter.

His latest position is not a complete rejection of the charter which, if passed into law, would ban the wearing of overt religious symbols by publicsector employees.

For us, the religious neutrality of the State does not mean the neutrality of the people, Couillard stated.

SPECIAL REPORT: CBC Montreal's coverage of the secular charter debate

He said Tuesday that he would support banning the chador, niqab and burqa for women who work in the public sector.

We consider that the wearing of these three items of clothing by women is the instrumentalization of religion with the end goal of oppression and submission. We are applying this judgment, Couillard said.

Houda-Pepin's views considered: Couillard

Former Liberal MNA Fatima Houda-Pepin was forced out of the partys caucus Monday eveningafter Couillard issued an ultimatum overher pro-secularism stance.

She had said previously she did not support the proposedsecular charter as it standsbut that she agreed with some of its fundamental tenets.

Couillard said the party listened to theposition of the national assembly's only Muslim MNA and incorporated some of her points into its new official stance on the issue.

He said he knew that he and the Quebec Liberal Party were cast in a negative light over the past few months because he did not take a firm stand on the Parti Qubcoiss secular charter. The lack of a firm stand was exacerbated byHouda-Pepin's outspoken pro-secularism stance, Couillardsaid yesterday.

"People criticized me for not moving quickly, but I wanted to take my time to study the issues and form my opinion and so I accepted the criticism,"Couillard said in French.

Its not black and white like the PQ is telling you, he continued.

He said he was against aban on turbans, kippas and hijabs for most civil servants.He said police officers and prison guards should be allowed to wear some religious garments, but it should be left to individual institutions to decide whether thats appropriate.

We have to respect the autonomy of organizations, Couillard said.

He said there wasnt a single police officer in Quebec who currently wears the turban, calling the discussion a debate on a hypothetical situation.

For a lot of people the State is the teacher, the policeman, the civil servant, the nurse, the educator. Its all that.- Bernard Drainville, PQ

He can ask to wear the turban. He has to justify why hes making the request, Couillard said.

Bernard Drainville, the PQ minister responsible for the secular charter, said the Liberals position was unnecessarily convoluted.

I find that its a position that is ambiguous, that is confusing, that is complicated and that is not comprehensive, Drainville said. Im having a lot of trouble following him.

Drainville said religious neutrality of the State and that of its employees are part and parcel of the same thing.

For a lot of people the State is the teacher, the policeman, the civil servant, the nurse, the educator.Its all that, he said.