Louise Harel’s contribution to the promotion and safeguard of cultural community’s interests largely unrecognised

Certain circles seem to find it acceptable nowadays to pretend that Louise Harel’s disregards – and even disdains - cultural communities. Anyone who knows Ms. Harel’s record throughout her political life cannot but react vigorously to such a blatantly false assertion.

As early as 1975, almost 35 years ago, Louise Harel pioneered efforts to open provincial political parties to cultural diversity. As Montreal Regional Director for her political affiliation, Ms. Harel undertook to publish a summary of the party’s political program - not only in English, as was already done at the time - but also in Italian, Portuguese, Greek and later in Arabic. The gesture had no equivalent on the provincial political scene at the time, and was an early manifestation of the open mindedness for cultural diversity that Louise Harel has never ceased to demonstrate throughout her long political career.

Louise Harel’s first passage in 1994 as Minister of Immigration was short lived, lasting only a few weeks. That did not stop her from successfully bringing forth Bill 10 creating the Council for Cultural Communities and Immigration which, to this day, plays a major advisory role to Government on all issues pertaining specifically to the needs of cultural communities.

During her second passage as Minister of Immigration and Citizens Relations, from November 1995 to December 1996, Louise Harel spearheaded several new government policies relating to cultural communities, while initiating an important restructuration of the Ministry in order to ensure that issues relating to cultural communities were taken into account not only in the Immigration Ministry itself, but in all other ministries as well. Ms. Harel gave special attention to refugee status claims and worked to try to improve the claim process, particularly to shorten the long delays that have such detrimental effects on individuals and families involved. She also initiated the first government financial sponsorship of the Montreal Dragon Boat Festival, a then very small event that has grown to become one of Montreal’s great summer attractions. Louise Harel also created the Conseil interculturel de Montréal, and ensured its continued existence by entrenching it in the City’s Charter.

Louise Harel has always shown support to those who advocate peaceful solutions to violent conflicts. In November 1995, she was the only provincial minister to join the Canadian delegation, headed by then Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, to the commemorative ceremony of Yitzhak Rabin’s assassination. She wholeheartedly shared the sorrow and loss of the Israelis, alongside the regretted Sheila Finestone, the then Canadian ambassador in Israel, David Berger, and leaders of the Canadian Jewish community.

As president of the Quebec National Assembly, Louise Harel was the instigator of yet another innovative project, namely a visit program of the legislative institution tailored for representatives and groups from cultural communities. The program was designed in a non partisan fashion so as to allow mp’s from all parties to become involved and partake in the visits.

If, as the common saying goes, acts speak louder than words, then Louise Harel’s acts speak of constant openness and caring for all cultural communities.

Those who pretend otherwise are ignorant of the facts or, worse, ignore them deliberately. This is called disinformation.

Sylvie Bourassa

Brossard