(Ottawa) The Legault government is categorical: the managers of companies subject to the Official Languages Act must speak and understand “clearly French”. The proposal is part of a series of amendments submitted by Quebec to enshrine the principles of the Charter of the French language in federal legislation.
Posted at 6:32 p.m.
The 13-page document, of which The Press obtained a copy, follows the adoption of the reform of the Charter of the French language — law 96 — on May 24. It aims to obtain the recognition of French as the “sole” official language and common language on Quebec territory. It also introduces the concept of the predominance of French over English.
The government of François Legault wants to ensure that the language of work is French in private companies under federal jurisdiction, such as banks, airlines or railways. Bill C-13 gives them the choice of applying this provision of the Charter of the French language or Official Languages Act which instead promotes bilingualism.
“What Quebec is showing is that without amendment, Bill C-13 does not protect French in Quebec, but rather a bilingualism that leads to anglicization,” denounced Bloc Québécois MP Claude DeBellefeuille. , during question period on Thursday.
Does the federal government realize that there is one issue, one issue where Canada must respect Quebec’s demands and that is the protection of the French language?
Claude DeBellefeuille, Bloc Québécois MNA for Salaberry—Suroît
“I completely agree that French in Quebec and in Canada is an existential question,” replied Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland before making a comparison with her Ukrainian culture.
As a Ukrainian-Canadian, personally, I now understand very well the importance of language and culture.
Chrystia Freeland, Deputy Prime Minister of Canada
She added that Bill C-13 is “an excellent law that will protect French in Quebec and across the country.”
Air Canada and Canadian National (CN) have made headlines for their inability to make enough room for French. Air Canada President and CEO Michael Rousseau stirred up a linguistic storm in November by delivering a speech almost exclusively in English to the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal. He later apologized and began French lessons.
More recently, CN caused controversy for having closed the doors of its board of directors to Francophones. The head office of the railway company, the largest in the country, is nevertheless located in Montreal and, like Air Canada, it is subject to the Official Languages Act. Employees also complain that English takes precedence over French in their workplace.
Quebec wants to add another amendment to C-13 to force the Minister of Official Languages to conclude an agreement on the implementation of the Charter of the French language in businesses under federal jurisdiction.
“The objective is to provide a clear, predictable, consistent and identical framework for all the companies concerned and their employees,” he writes.
He is not proposing an amendment to ensure that future governors general are bilingual. The office of the Minister responsible for Canadian Relations, Sonia LeBel, indicates that it goes without saying that the Governor General can speak French. The Minister was not available to grant us an interview.
Minority in Canada, majority in Quebec
The Legault government wants Ottawa to recognize the minority situation of French in Canada and the need for Quebec to protect, strengthen and promote it. In this sense, “the English-speaking minority in Quebec and the French-speaking minorities in the other provinces and territories have different needs” which must be taken into account in the application of the Official Languages Acthe pleads.
He asks that the federal government use French predominantly in its signage in Quebec and that it refrain from promoting English in Quebec territory. The Commissioner of Official Languages should also take this into account when dealing with complaints from Quebec’s English-speaking community.
Currently, his work is based on the concept of linguistic duality. “We defend the concept of the two official language minority communities,” he recalled on Tuesday when tabling his annual report.
He then invited the government of Quebec to “balance” the need to strengthen the French language and the rights guaranteed by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms of the English-Quebec community. “I think we should not overlook the concerns clearly expressed by the English-speaking community of Quebec,” he said.
The president of the Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN), Marlene Jennings, asked elected officials on Monday to remove all mention of the Charter of the French language in federal Bill C-13. She fears the negative repercussions of a two-tier regime on her community.
Bill C-13 recognizes French as the official language of Quebec, but not as its “only” official language.
Federal Minister of Justice David Lametti recently expressed fears after the adoption of the reform of the Charter of the French language and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had assured that he would protect the rights of Anglophones.