Events broadcast live on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Facebook page must be accessible in French and English, concludes the Commissioner of Official Languages (COL) following the announcement of the appointment of Mary Simon as Governor General.
More than a dozen people filed a complaint with the OCOL to denounce the lack of simultaneous interpretation service on Mr. Trudeau’s Facebook page during the July 6 press conference introducing the new Governor General.
The plaintiffs also deplored the choice of the moderator who spoke largely only in English, indicates the COL in its preliminary investigation report filed last month, and of which The Canadian Press obtained a copy.
The investigation recognized that no simultaneous interpretation or captioning service in either of the two official languages was offered at the time of the live broadcast on Facebook.
“During a public event, such as the press conference announcing the appointment of the new Governor General, who is a key figure in Canadian parliamentary democracy, it is crucial that everyone can participate and appreciate its importance in the official language. of their choice,” writes Commissioner Raymond Théberge.
In this case, Mr. Théberge blames the Privy Council Office (PCO), which provides impartial advice and support to the Prime Minister and his cabinet, particularly in the area of communications.
During the July 6 event, the BCP provided logistical support and communications products for the organization of the press conference.
But he confirmed that he had not given advice “in terms of official languages related to the broadcast of the event on the Facebook page, since he was not responsible for the organization of the press conference, nor for the recruitment from the moderator, nor from the Facebook page,” the report read.
Despite this, the COL believes that the Privy Council Office failed in its obligations under the Official Languages Act.
In particular, it would have been possible to “insert the links of the CPAC news channel in the description of the video in both official languages, because these links offered the public the possibility of viewing the video in the official language of their choice” , argues Raymond Théberge.
It recommends that the PCO put in place, within three months of receiving the final investigation report, the necessary directives so that “all Canadians can receive communications relating to government information in both official languages” during events streamed live on the Prime Minister’s Facebook page.
Neither the Prime Minister and his cabinet nor the Governor General were blamed in the preliminary investigation report, not being “federal institutions” within the meaning of the Official Languages Act.
PCO did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Canadian Press.
The appointment of Inuit leader Mary Simon — the first Indigenous woman to serve as Governor General — sparked outrage among many because of her inability to speak French. Hundreds of complaints were filed with the CLO, which launched an investigation into the process that led to his appointment.