The question is not whether you or I should wear a face covering, for religious reasons.  It is whether other people should be allowed to wear one if their beliefs demand it.  When I was young, women were required to wear hats with veils in church.  Nobody raised an alarm then.

The question is political. The Quebec Liberals are one year away from an election, where they stand to lose seats for other reasons.  They don't want to risk losing even more, and their power, so they are ready to compromise their principles.  That unfortunately is the way current democracy works.  It is cheaper and quicker to pass this bill than to provide resources to give Quebecers in outlying parts of the province an education that will enable them to function in modern society. In the meantime, reptilian defence mechanisms guide the voting decisions of those who have never seen and probably never will see (other than on the omnipresent television) a woman wearing a niqab or burka.