The new leader of the provincial Equality Party 2.0 – the second coming of the party after its first iteration folded in 2005 – will focus primarily on individual rights for Quebecers' freedom of choice and letting those residents make their own choices when it comes to schooling, bilingualism and educational toys, among other issues.
Bergeron, who entered the public eye after an Urgences-Sante paramedic refused to give him medical information in English when his daughter suffered a seizure in December, took on the job because "someone had to speak up for people who are tired of being told their individual rights are meaningless."
Bergeron, who grew up in Kirkland and Beaconsfield before settling with his young family in the off-island area, said his schooling at Ecole Primaire St. Remi in Beaconsfield helped shape his view of individual rights in the province.
"It's a travesty that the option for me to go to either French or English school was available, but not to my French-speaking neighbours," he said, adding that no matter the ethnic or lingusitic background, Quebecers of all kinds should be concerned with further restrictions on those rights, as the PQ's Bill 14 would do if it passes.
Bergeron also condemned the law that forces businesses into creating French-only versions of their products for Quebec markets and limits what can be sold online here.
"If you think about computers," he said. "The amount of computers that were sold to Quebecers who shopped in Plattsburgh, Burlington or Ontario could translate into a ton of lost tax revenue for Quebecers," but yet, the government persists in shooting itself in the foot by prioritizing language restrictions over fiscal responsibility.
