Official languages: Complaints following the appointment of the Governor-General

To date, we have received 59 complaints regarding the appointment of a new Governor-General. We are currently evaluating the entry of these complaints., The Office of the Official Languages ​​Commissioner of Canada said in an email exchange on Monday.

Named 30^E Governor General of Canada On July 6, the first Indigenous man to represent the British monarchy in its 154-year history received mixed reactions.

If Mrs.. Simon – Inuk is actually from Kangiksuwaljuwak in Nunavik – Underlined, the former Canadian ambassador to Denmark speaks Inuktitut and English, but not French, causing some inconvenience on many of the country’s francophones.

The Canadian Federation of Francophone and Accordion Communities (FCFA) in Canada, as well as the Alliance des F లాmes de la Francophone Canadian (AFFC), welcomed the nomination. A wonderful step on the path to reconciliation, According to the PresidentAFFCCanadian Francophony Women’s Alliance, Lily Christ.

But FCFAFederation of Francophone and Accordion Communities He pointed out his fears with shame Twitter.

The FCFAFederation of Francophone and Accordion Communities The Government of Canada wants to reaffirm the need to appoint individuals capable of expressing themselves in both official languages ​​to all positions of national importance., Tweeted a representative of Francophones from minority communities.

For political scientist Stephanie Chauhanard at the Royal Military College in Canada, the Trudeau government organized Francophone companies and associations. Position is impossible.

In Canada right now, no one wants to be against reconciliation. Francophone communities as a minority can understand the importance of giving more recognition to the country’s indigenous communities and languages ​​than the majority in Canada., He stressed. But this does not mean that hard-won struggles will disappear overnight, such as recognizing the need to have bilingual Canadian government representatives.

There has been some criticism of the appointment.

However, Mrs. Chaunard believes it Canada has never accepted Anishina Bemovin and the French-speaking Governor General, but not English..

The senators were divided over the appointment

Acadian Senator Rene Carmier agreed that the decision was decisive Concerns.

He and his colleague in the Standing Senate Committee on Official Languages, Franco-Ontario Senator Lucy Monsion, agree that the appointment was a signal On the other hand.

For now, by the time we are, I think it is very important to elect Mrs. Simon. In her opinion it is a very good choice even if she does not speak French.

Mrs. Monsion is believed to be a fact Mary Simon Do not speak French Sad, More Sorry – In light of the current situation – Senator Carmire is launching a booster shot at the federal level.

We must therefore remind the government that it is possible to combine the principles of responsibility, inclusion, diversity and linguistic duality, and that the appointment as Mrs. Simon, Although it is a very positive step in the reconciliation process […] We must not forget that these positions have very strong signal dimensions, He argues.

Although Mrs. Simon is committed to learning French, Senator Monsion is realistic.

At age 73, learning a third language, and especially French, is a very difficult language., She agreed.

For Stephanie Chaunard, criticisms should be sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where Mrs. Simon Worked for almost 20 years.

That is, at the Foreign Office, the Canadian delegation considers it acceptable […] Speak only one of the two official languages. This ministry failed in its work, She says. In a career of nearly two decades, the diplomat must have a knowledge of both official languages.

Government decision Hard to understand

In recent months, Justin Trudeau has emphasized the government’s desire to protect and promote the French, especially by proposing Integrity of the Official Languages ​​Act.

The appointment will make the bilingual Anglophone lieutenant governor a success Brenda Murphy, In New Brunswick, in 2019, the waters will be submerged in mud, said Professor Chaunard.

This is hard to understand in the light of all the big announcements made by the federal government, She believes. It is my opinion that Trudeau has a certain figure on behalf of the government, at this point, she should have a candidate who understands her role well and does not make waves.

Senator Lucy Monsian (Archives)

Photo: Senate of Canada

Senator Monsion puts forward another hypothesis. In my opinion it is difficult to find a prime minister [un candidat], She thinks. Perhaps the people he asked for did not want the job, given the situation and the current work on the reconciliation file.

Because when these people come into positions like Governor General, they are very limited in the things they can do. So if they are activists for local affairs, that position does not allow them to do so., She concluded.