The appointment of Benoît Dubreuil as the very first French language commissioner was approved at the Salon Bleu on Wednesday, without the support of the Liberals.
Marc Tanguay’s troops voted against, after explaining last Friday that they did not accept certain passages of an essay co-written by Mr. Dubreuil in 2011 on language and immigration.
Mr. Dubreuil “considers that the use of a language other than French at home by a majority of immigrants can be considered a sign of the weakening” of French, they argued.
However, for the liberals, “it is the language spoken in the public sphere which must serve as a reference indicator”.
The “lack of nuance” in Mr. Dubreuil’s past writings and his “judgment bias regarding an immigrant’s sense of belonging” are disturbing, according to the Liberal Party.
Watch dog
The French Language Commissioner is an independent watchdog. This position, created with the adoption last June of Bill 96, consists in particular of monitoring the evolution of the linguistic situation in Quebec.
The mandate is for seven years and cannot be renewed.
The appointment of Mr. Dubreuil had to be voted on by two-thirds of the National Assembly. Ninety-five MPs supported it, while the 17 Liberals present rejected it.
It should be noted that the former Liberal MP who became independent, Marie-Claude Nichols, voted in favor of the motion that was submitted by Premier François Legault.
The Parti Québécois (PQ) and Québec solidaire (QS) also lined up behind the choice of the Prime Minister, even if QS had originally refused the candidacy of Mr. Dubreuil, who was not “unifying” enough.
The party of Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, however, changed its mind after meeting him.
Roberge rejoices
“It’s an excellent appointment,” rejoiced the minister responsible for the French language, Jean-François Roberge, later on his arrival at the council of ministers.
“This is an important step in the government’s desire to monitor the evolution of the linguistic situation in Quebec and to curb the decline of French,” added his cabinet in a press release.
Mr. Dubreuil will have “all the latitude necessary to carry out the verifications and investigations that he deems useful”, in addition to providing opinions and recommendations to the government and to the minister.
The commissioner will ensure that the provisions of the Charter of the French language are respected in parliamentary institutions and in the administration.
Mr. Dubreuil holds a doctorate in philosophy from the Free University of Brussels. He is currently Director General of Regional Operations at the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada.
He has also held the positions of Director of Strategic Services and Intergovernmental Affairs at the Department of Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada, Manager at the Department of National Defence, and Policy Analyst at the Department of Human Resources and skills of Canada.