The Commissioner of Official Languages of Canada, Raymond Théberge, launched a thinly veiled criticism of the federal government for its appointment of a governor general who still does not master French after three years in office.
“Any position of leader or senior executive who speaks on behalf of Canada at the national level [ou] international should be able to represent Canada in both official languages,” he declared at a press conference on Wednesday, to a question from Newspaper.
Explosion of complaints
If he did not directly criticize the appointment of Governor General Mary Simon, it is because the “extraordinary” number of complaints – more than 1,300 – received after her appointment are still being processed, he said. said.
However, Mr. Théberge’s office confirmed that the initial investigation linked to the 1,300 complaints was indeed completed, but that the reports are never made public. “Other complaints, however, are still under investigation and relate to events where, according to the complaints, only one official language was used,” it says.
Around 71% of Quebecers consider it “unacceptable” that the Governor General cannot speak French some three years after her appointment, the Léger firm reported on Wednesday.
Mr. Théberge mentioned as a potential “solution” to this controversy the possibility of “enshrining in legislation” the obligation to master both official languages for federal appointments to important positions. He suggested elected officials look into the issue in the past.
“If that were ever the case, it would be a very good decision, but it is not up to the commissioner to decide who is bilingual [ou] not bilingual.”
Language courses
The Governor General’s office confirmed to Newspaper that Mary Simon “continues to take French lessons regularly”, without however providing an update on the number of hours of lessons taken.
As of December 2023, the Governor General had 178 hours of classes since taking office, Radio-Canada reported.
His office attached the following statement from Mr.me Simon, formulated after his visit to Quebec in September.
“Being Canadian and Quebecois, I understand very well the critical relationship between identity, culture and language. This is why speaking my mother tongue, Inuktitut, is an integral part of my identity. This is why I am so passionate about the revitalization and preservation of all Indigenous languages. I understand the importance of French for French-speaking Canadians: it is an essential element of their culture and their identity.”