Official languages: The law of “high bite”, said Minister Petit‌pas Taylor

At a press conference, Minister Petitpass Taylor stressed the fact that his project gives More bites To current law.

When I became a minister, I started my consultations with various stakeholders, my colleagues … we listened to make sure we had a better bill. We want to make sure he faces challenges.

” The French situation is alarming. Its protection deserves special and immediate attention. ⁇

The possibility of the Commissioner of Official Languages ​​imposing monetary administrative penalties on certain institutions that do not fulfill their linguistic responsibilities is the first adjustment, and not the least. Covered entities are current or former Crown corporations operating in the transportation sector, providing services to passengers and communicating with them, including Air Canada, Marine Atlantic and VIA Rail.

The commissioner wanted more tools to do his job. […] Same as we did. […] We have selected companies that affect consumers and travelersThe Minister explained.

However, the Office of the Official Languages ​​Commissioner should proceed step by step before issuing such a permit. Specifies a control guideline. Under the bill, fines can reach a maximum of $ 25,000 and a single offense cannot be fined more than once.

Administrative Monetary Penalties is a tool we have added, but Bill C-32 has already been added to the otherMinister Petitpass Taylor said.

Another change is that the Board of the Treasury will now play a more important role, as it sets out the principles for applying certain parts of the law.

What is new is that this authority is mandatory, as well as overseeing the application of application principles [de la Loi] And make assumptionsSenior Canadian government officials explained during the briefing.

Canadian Heritage still has a role to play, but so does the Treasury Board Usually acts as a central agencyMrs. Petitpass Taylor assured.

Addressing the weight loss of the Francophone population

The government is moving further in the matter of Francophone immigration Quebec never reached its goals outside.

If her predecessor Melanie Jolie’s bill was presented to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Francophone is required to adopt an immigration approachAn ad is attached so this policy is also included Goals, Objectives and IndicatorsTo overcome the declining population weight of Canada’s Francophone minorities.

The federal government is not meeting its targets for Francophone immigration outside Quebec (archives).

Photo: Canadian Press / Sean Kilpatrick

Finally, the bill provides a more precise definition Positive actions What the federal government should do to raise awareness of the official language minority communities and to promote French and English across the country. These actions should be Taken with the intention of having a concrete and favorable effectAnd rely on Rough analysis baseWe will explain.

Former Health Minister Petitpas Taylor has also taken care to apply the legal obligations of official languages ​​at all times. Especially in emergencies. In addition to the later narrative Many shortcomings were observed in terms of official languages ​​during the epidemic.

Main lines are maintained

Many appearances of Bill C-32, Last June Ms. Presented by Jolie, Ms. Can be found at PetitPass Taylor. The goal is always thereThe true equality of status between French and English in CanadaThe government says.

The law recognizes the French minority situation in Canada and North America and aims to protect and promote it. According to the minister, the federal government a Should play a key role In this case.

When she took office, Minister Petitpass Taylor assured her Fight against the “French decline”.

” With amendments this law will overcome the challenges of today and tomorrow. ⁇

The bilingualism of judges in the Supreme Court of Canada, the recognition of French as the official language of Quebec, and the bilingual status of New Brunswick, the integration into the program of court challenges program and action plan for official languages, or the modernization proposed by the government every ten years are still part of the law.

Special law for French use in the private sector

On the other hand, in private businesses under federal jurisdiction, as well as in areas with a strong Francophone presence, measures that guarantee the right to be granted to the public and the right to work in French are now relevant to the bill.

The new law provides the benefits of a clear, centralized framework for this new intervention sectorDefended by senior Canadian government officials.

(Archives)

Photo: Radio-Canada

By law, businesses within federal jurisdiction, such as banking, telecommunications and aeronautics, must be able to communicate in French with their employees and customers.

The measure will first be implemented in Quebec, then two years later in strong French-speaking areas, however Define what is the area with the strongest presence of a francophoneDefends the minister.

Attentive Quebec

Black Quebecois has already warned that it will not support a project submitted by Minister Petitpass Taylor.

We were very disappointed for QuebecThe party’s official language spokesman Mario Beaulieu said. The only ones who have not heard are the cubes! We will try to edit [le projet de loi]But at the moment this is not acceptable!He argues.

Member La Pointe-de-l’Île opined that the bill undermines the efforts of the Franయిois Legalt government to protect the French language and enforce the French language charter in businesses under federal jurisdiction.

French is the only official language of Quebec and the only endangered language in CanadaStressed Mr. Beaulieu.

” The reform presented today does not in any way replace the actions of Bill 96 submitted by my colleague, the Minister of French Languages, especially to businesses under federal jurisdiction in Quebec. ⁇

In an email sent to Radio-Canada on Tuesday afternoon, after learning more about the bill, the Quebec Board of Presidents and the Office of the Minister in charge of Canadian Relations and the Canadian Francophone Sonia Label indicated that her government was taking over. Note the measures proposed for the protection of francophones in minority situations, especially in the rest of Canada..

Sonia Label, President of the Treasury Board and Minister in charge of Canadian Relations and Canadian Francophony (Archives)

Photo: Radio-Canada / Sylvain Roy Roussell

And add: In Quebec, we would like to remind you that it is the responsibility of the Quebec government to protect and promote the French. We are ready to work with the federal government on this file. […] The State of Quebec is prepared to fully accept and continue to fulfill its historic responsibilities..

Opposition parties want even more

Other opposition parties in Ottawa want the government to go further.

It was a step in the right direction, but there were things missing to respond to the French declineSaid Niki AshtonOfficial language critic for the New Democratic Party (NDP)

” We have the opportunity to modernize the official language law for the first time in a generation. We must do all we can to make it as good as possible. ⁇

The New Democratic PartyNDP In principle, the Liberal government will support the bill, but would like to see changes to it, especially if the Treasury Board is responsible for compliance with the law and the inclusion of language provisions in agreements between the federal government and the provinces and territories when transferring money.

We recently saw this for childcare centers, with no guarantee for French speaking communitiesFor recalled Member of Parliament Churchill-Kivatinok Aski.

Conservative MP Joel Godin, his party’s official languages ​​spokesperson (Archives)

Photo: Radio-Canada / Guillaume Croteau-Langevin

On behalf of the Conservative Party of Canada (PCC), MP Joel Godin agrees. Minister Petitpass Taylor made adjustments from the Ms Jolie bill, which he agreed to, but the government is still far from reminded.

I am glad the government has introduced the bill. We have been waiting for this for a few years. But I was disappointed with the resultHe said he believed it did not really face the French decline.

He condemned the government’s reluctance to give the Commissioner of Official Languages ​​more powers beyond the very limited framework or to see to it that the Central Agency alone is the master in handling the application of the enforcement law.

I consult with my colleagues and recommend that we work with the government to provide tools to protect the French language.