Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday became the latest politician to call out a suburban Montreal mayor who compared Quebec's recently tabled secularism bill to ethnic cleansing.
Speaking to reporters in Ottawa, Trudeau repeated his opposition to Bill 21 but said Hampstead Mayor William Steinberg's comments were unacceptable and that the mayor needs to apologize.
Bill 21 would prohibit public servants in positions of authority -- including teachers -- from wearing religious symbols. Steinberg, whose suburb has a population of about 7,000, drew the wrath of Quebec's political class last Friday when he said Bill 21 "is ethnic cleansing, not with a gun but with a law."
He said people were twisting his words and that he was referring to "peaceful ethnic cleansing." He said he fears an apology would detract from his criticism that the bill will cause religious minorities to leave the province. In Quebec City, the Liberals and governing Coalition Avenir Quebec accused each other of prompting Steinberg's remarks.
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