Jean-Francois Lisée spoke to CJAD listeners for the first time Friiday morning since his appointment to the PQ cabinet.

The Minister responsible for anglophones and the Montreal region spoke to Andrew Carter about Bill 101 and touched on corruption allegations at city hall.

Lisée tried to make the distinction between strengthening the province's language laws and the importance of learning English. 

He says it's a fact that the French language is losing ground in Montreal and that is cause for concern and debate. But he says that does not mean anglophones should see their rights diminished or that a French Quebecer should be prevented from learning the international language of business.

"In the English schools there is a great effort to teach French," he says, "and in the French schools there is an effort to teach English, and we feel that effort should be even greater."

Lisée also weighed in on that paramedic who refused to speak English to a family in Vaudreuil earlier this week. He says his actions were unacceptable and says the government's position is very clear. 

"Every anglophone Quebecer has the absolute right to receive medical services in English." 

Finally, when asked if he thinks Montreal mayor Gerald Tremblay should resign following allegations about a system of corruption at city hall, Lisée says it is not his job or the government's job to say the Mayor should resign or not.

"Really the only person who can answer that question," says Lisée, "is Gerald Tremblay."