Control over immigration and Quebec's religious symbols ban could be sources of conflict between Ottawa and the province as Premier Francois Legault begins his second mandate.
Legault's Coalition Avenir Quebec was re-elected Monday with a resounding majority, elected or leading in 89 of the province's 125 ridings as of 11:30 p.m.
Tension with the federal government "doesn't serve the interests of the federal government, but it certainly serves the interests of Legault's Quebec government," Papillon said. "It strengthens his position a bit and the vision he wants to put forward, his autonomist, nationalist vision, that doesn't want to reopen the Constitution question."
Legault said in May that a stronger mandate would help him obtain additional powers over immigration, but Andre Lecours, a professor at the University of Ottawa's school of political studies, said he thinks it's unlikely that the federal government would bend to Quebec's demands. Those differing ideas could also lead to conflict over Quebec's Bill 21, which prohibits public sector workers in positions of authority, including teachers, police officers and judges, from wearing religious symbols on the job.
Papillon said that any federal involvement before the courts would play in Legault's favour, because he has emphasized the division between English-speaking Canada and Quebec on the issue. But for one of Legault's former colleagues, his controversial comments, and the apologies that sometimes follow, are familiar.
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