Here we go again.

It seems every time the Coalition Avenir Québec government loses a byelection, finds itself mired in another money-losing scandal or sees its support drop in the polls, it pulls out, as if by default, its two well-worn trump cards: secularism and nationalism.

The government seems to think that if it manages to get enough people riled up against exaggerated concerns around the loss of French, or immigrants’ so-called failure to integrate the way they are told to integrate — or if it dukes it out with the Parti Québécois over overblown fears of “Islamic entryism” — then it can breathe a momentary sigh of relief as Quebecers turn on each other and not on the elected leaders who are supposed to be looking out for us all.

A lot of negative news has been making headlines in Quebec, Canada and around the world these days, but you’d be forgiven if you hadn’t noticed — what with the repeated talk about how the CAQ government intends to tighten the screws on secularism legislation and lecture newcomers on their ”moral duty” to adhere to Quebec culture.

Because nothing makes people feel more welcome than vague orders on how........

© Montreal Gazette