Bill C-13, aimed at modernizing the Official Languages Act, provides “nothing” for Quebec, says the Bloc Québécois observes following stormy testimony by the President of the Treasury Board, Mona Fortier, before a parliamentary committee.
“Your answers show that you do not accept any of the demands of the Government of Quebec,” lamented the Bloc official languages spokesperson, Mario Beaulieu, on Tuesday, after a showdown with the minister who was to at times to cacophony.
From the first exchange at the Standing Committee on Official Languages, Mr. Beaulieu asked her if she considered it “feasible” to fulfill Quebec’s request that French be the “predominant” language in the federal public service in the province.
The Franco-Ontarian, who previously sat on the committee, then replied that federal services must be offered “in both official languages across the country”.
“You are repeating the principle of institutional bilingualism which goes against the Charter of the French language, pestered Mr. Beaulieu. In Quebec, it has to be predominant. It has to be the working language, the common language. »
The member also asked him why 68% of federal civil servants in Quebec must be bilingual when only 13% have this obligation in the rest of the country, as revealed by data collected by Radio-Canada.
Ms. Fortier replied that “there are designated bilingual regions” and therefore positions where proficiency in French and English is required.
In an interview, Mr. Beaulieu argued that these data show the extent to which it is “double standards” and that the federal public service “anglicizes” Quebec.
When questioned in a scrum, the minister brushed off the accusation of anglicization and pleaded that the designated bilingual regions aim to “respect Francophones and Anglophones living in minority communities across the country”.
During a second round of questions, the Bloc member went even harder. “Quebec, what it asked for, is to recognize that of the two official languages, there is only one minority, only one that is threatened: it is French,” he said. said. And you explain to us that in C-13 it is rejected. You consider that in Quebec, English is the minority language. »
“We recognize that there is a decline in the French language in Quebec and across the country,” replied Minister Fortier with difficulty and misery, while the MP replied that “recognize a decline, but continue to supporting only English does not work”.
The testimony of Minister Fortier also displeased the Conservatives. ” I am very disappointed. There is no opening,” their official languages spokesperson, Joël Godin, told the media. The hon. member also questioned whether the government really wants to improve the bill.
The last two witnesses to be heard by the committee could come and testify as soon as Thursday. They are the Minister of Official Languages, Ginette Petitpas Taylor, and the Minister of Canadian Heritage, Pablo Rodriguez.
The committee will then proceed to clause-by-clause study for eight meetings, at a rate of two per week under an agreement between the parties, which would allow C-13 to be sent to the House of Commons at the mid-February or early March.
Ottawa’s bill enshrines a new right to work and be served in French in Quebec and in regions with a strong French-speaking presence in other provinces in private businesses under federal jurisdiction, such as banks, airlines or railways .