The issues affecting the services offered to Franco-Ontarians gave rise to lively discussions during the only debate in French in the Ontario election. Four candidates presented their vision of the Francophonie in the province two weeks before polling day.
The debate brought together Minister of Francophone Affairs Caroline Mulroney of the Progressive Conservative Party, her former parliamentary assistant, Liberal Amanda Simard, New Democrat France Gélinas and Green Party candidate Cara Des Granges. Although they sit in different caucuses, these last three candidates have often found common ground in their opposition to the Conservative cuts.
The measures taken by the Ford government in November 2018 to reduce the budget deficit shook thousands of Franco-Ontarians. The province then eliminated the independent French language services commissioner — the watchdog of Franco-Ontarians — and the plan for a francophone university in the province. Four years later, the debate showed that the wounds were still not healed in the political class.
Caroline Mulroney defended the decision to eliminate the position of independent commissioner, arguing that the person holding the role today in the office of the Ontario Ombudsman, Kelly Burke, has the same powers. In his latest report, former commissioner François Boileau contradicts the minister’s remarks. “François Boileau did not need to wait for complaints,” said France Gélinas of the NPD.
Facing her former colleague in the Conservative caucus, which she left at the end of November 2018, Amanda Simard declared that Premier Doug Ford did not know the difference between the position of French Language Services Commissioner and the Ministry of Francophone Affairs in timing of cuts. “It’s not reassuring to have a government that doesn’t know the difference,” she said.
Doug Ford’s government would have “betrayed” Franco-Ontarians by cutting their services in November 2018, according to Amanda Simard. The comment sparked a strong reaction from Caroline Mulroney, for whom the Conservatives did more for Francophones than the Liberals during their fifteen years in power, between 2003 and 2018. “You are a propaganda machine” replied, Amanda Simard.
This story is supported by the Local Journalism Initiative, funded by the Government of Canada.