OTTAWA | Those who defend French in this country sometimes have the impression of preaching in the desert.
When The Journal published its reports on Governor General Mary Simon who does not yet speak French after three years of lessons, the rest of the country rolled its eyes.
Quebecers understand the importance for the GG of speaking French. And not just French speakers.
A Léger poll indicates that 71% of Quebecers and even 40% of non-French speakers find it unacceptable that our Governor General does not speak French.
The survey only focuses on Quebec, but we can assume that the figures would have been very different in the rest of the country.
Frontal bilingualism
I understand that the subject is sensitive. Mary Simon is not a governor general like any other. She is the first indigenous person to hold this position.
The symbol is strong and far from me is the idea of diminishing the historic character of this nomination.
It is precisely because the subject is delicate and historic that this appointment by the Trudeau government is so pernicious.
I noted a few weeks ago that with this decision, Ottawa is suggesting that it was incapable of reconciling two key principles of our country: diversity and official bilingualism.
Official bilingualism which is mainly carried by Quebecers, in 2024.
A recent Léger poll showed that 83% of Quebecers believe that Canada must remain officially bilingual.
In the rest of the country, 51% of respondents think no. The divide is enormous.
In short, in the rest of the country, a majority does not adhere to this founding principle.
It’s a fact, French is less popular than before in English Canada. Bilingualism is increasing in Quebec and declining in the rest of the country, as shown by Statistics Canada data from the latest census.
Hence the importance of the example coming from the top. By appointing Mary Simon to this position, which is both political and symbolic, the Trudeau government chooses to ignore this trend towards the progressive marginalization of French in the country.
He also agrees with those in the rest of the country who shrug their shoulders, or who mock the concerns of Quebecers, French speakers and Francophiles.
Will
When I recently noted that we were slipping into a world where Francophones are increasingly considered to be a minority among many others, and that they no longer form one of the founding peoples in the great Canadian myth, I was accused of alarmism in a major Toronto daily.
I absolutely announced the end of French in the country!
Because, you see, Mme Perhaps Simon is simply not good at languages, like many Canadians.
She represents the millions of people in the country who, despite themselves, are excluded from good jobs because they are not bilingual.
We know the song.
Let us just remember that bilingual positions occupied by unilingual English speakers in the federal public service are a real scourge that even the federal government recognizes.
Let’s give the Trudeau government its due: recently, the nine judges of the Supreme Court must all be functionally bilingual.
So when you want, you can.