(Ottawa) Quebec and Ottawa share the same objective of protecting the French language, but there is more than one way to achieve it, argues Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor in an interview. She swears that her reform of the Official Languages Act “is very similar, almost a carbon copy” of Bill 96 in Quebec for businesses under federal jurisdiction.
Posted at 12:00 a.m.
Bill C-13 recognizes that French is the official language of Quebec, but not that it is its “sole official” and “common” language, as stipulated in the reform of the Charter of the French language adopted on 24 May by the government of François Legault.
In a move rarely seen in Ottawa by a provincial government, Quebec last week submitted 16 proposed amendments to the reform of this legislation on Canadian bilingualism. In addition to having French recognized as the “sole” official and common language in Quebec, it also introduces the concept of the predominance of French over English.
Let’s be very clear, the only minority language in Canada is French. Period.
Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Official Languages
Her office, where she receives The Pressgives a magnificent view of the Ottawa River, which separates Quebec and Ontario.
Walk the talk
Her desire to defend French does not prevent her from defending her government’s decision to appoint a Governor General who does not speak French. Mary Simon “takes lessons in French”. Or that of appealing the judgment of the Court of Queen’s Bench of New Brunswick on the appointment of a unilingual Anglophone as lieutenant-governor to clarify “constitutional issues”.
We recognize that French is in decline in North America, we recognize that French is in decline in Canada, including in Quebec.
Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Official Languages
“Our goal is really to do everything to protect and promote our language. We both have the same goals, but I think our vision is different on how to get there. »
She specifies that it will be up to the parliamentary committee on official languages to analyze all the suggested amendments, but we guess throughout the interview that some of these proposals have little chance of being incorporated into Bill C-13.
Protect all minorities
Ginette Petitpas Taylor was born in Dieppe, New Brunswick. She tirelessly recalls when she is questioned by the Bloc Québécois on her reform in the House that as an Acadian, she knows how important the protection of French is. “For me, it’s a priority to make sure it’s going to be done across the country,” she said.
But also as federal minister, it is also part of my role to ensure that everything is going to be done to protect official language minority communities, [ce qui] includes English-speaking Quebecers.
Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Official Languages
The new version of the Official Languages Act recognizes the need for the development of the English-speaking minority in Quebec and to protect its institutions. The president of the Quebec Community Groups Network, Marlene Jennings, asked elected officials last week to remove any mention of the Charter of the French language. She fears the negative repercussions of a two-tier regime on her community.
Better supervise private companies
Bill C-13 recognizes the right of Quebecers to work in French in businesses under federal jurisdiction such as banks or telecommunications companies. “Private companies under federal jurisdiction will have the choice of being subject to our law or Quebec law, but the laws are almost similar,” she argues.
The Bloc Québécois demands that the Charter of the French language be the only applicable law in order to prevent businesses from choosing federal legislation to avoid complying with it.
Canadian National (CN) employees complained to The Press that English takes precedence over French in their workplace in Quebec. This is without taking into account the linguistic storm raised by the president and general manager of Air Canada, Michael Rousseau, last November.
“We talk in our new law that private companies under federal jurisdiction in Quebec, employees will work in French and customers will be served in French, explains Ms.me Petitpas Taylor. But in regions with a strong francophone presence outside Quebec, we want to ensure that the same reality will apply. »
The definition of a region with a strong Francophone presence will remain to be determined by regulation after the adoption of Bill C-13. The minister on Monday accused the opposition parties of obstructing to prevent a rapid adoption of her reform. The Conservative Party, the Bloc Québécois and the New Democratic Party opposed a motion by Liberal MP Francis Drouin last week to limit debate on the amendments during the clause-by-clause study of the bill in committee.
One of the Quebec amendments aims to ensure that future directors of companies subject to the Official Languages Actlike Air Canada, speak and understand “clearly French”.