By Canadian Press

Quebec premier demands Trudeau cut federal funding to Bill 21 legal challenge

Feb 6, 2020 | 9:47 AM

Quebec Premier Francois Legault is lashing out at the Trudeau government after learning a Montreal school board had reportedly received federal funds to contest the province’s secularism law in court.

Legault told reporters today he was shocked to learn the English Montreal School Board received money from the independently administered Court Challenges Program.

The premier says it is unacceptable that federal dollars are going towards the court challenge against Bill 21 and is calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to intervene.

The controversy stems from a Montreal Gazette report stating the school board received $250,000 from the program, which offers money to groups challenging human rights or language-related cases of national significance in court.

Trudeau says the court challenges program is run by an independent body that makes its own decisions.

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Quebec’s Bill 21 forbids some public sector workers such as teachers from wearing religious symbols at work.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 6, 2020.

The Canadian Press