It did attract some criticism, with columnist William Johnson claiming that Parliament had not fully analyzed the amendment and tried to stifle public discussion. He even suggested that section 16.1 might create two governments for New Brunswick, one in English and one in French. Earlier, this columnist had also charged that enshrining collective rights in the Constitution was "alien to liberalism," and would undermine the individual in favour of a larger group; he also said section 16.1 excluded Aboriginal peoples in New Brunswick and could make them "second-class citizens." He compared section 16.1 to how the Meech Lake Accord and Charlottetown Accord would have recognized Quebec as a distinct society.