The Trudeau government is “spending a Christmas tree” in Quebec with C-13, its bill to reform the Official Languages Act, which it is also trying to speed up adoption by limiting the time for debate, accuse the Bloc Québécois as well as several activist organizations, researchers and other individuals associated with the field of the French language.
“No measure of the bill makes it possible to promote or protect the French language in Quebec, they argue in an open letter published Thursday. By giving companies the choice of the federal or Quebec language regime, the federal government is instead enshrining the right to work in English. »
According to the signatories, including the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste, the Mouvement national des Québécoises et Québécois and sociology professor emeritus Guy Rocher, the bill “attacks” the application of the Language Charter. French law, commonly referred to as Bill 101, to companies under federal jurisdiction, an idea which nevertheless receives the support, they list, “of the National Assembly, of all our former prime ministers and of the mayors of all the major cities of Quebec “.
Choice or obligation?
Ottawa’s bill enshrines a new right to work and be served in French in private businesses under federal jurisdiction, such as banks, airlines or railways, in Quebec and other regions with a strong Francophone presence .
However, Quebec wants instead to subject these companies established on its territory to the Charter of the French language, which does not give a choice and makes French the only language of work.
Thus, according to the Bloc, C-13 constitutes a setback for French in Quebec since private companies under federal jurisdiction could choose to submit to it rather than Bill 101, an option that the big boss of Air Canada, Michael Rousseau himself said he preferred during a stormy passage in parliamentary committee last spring.
Mr. Rousseau had previously boasted of having been able to live for 14 years in Montreal without speaking a word of French. And C-13 “assures him of being able to continue” and allows companies like his to “continue to anglicize Quebec”, launched during question period in the Commons on Wednesday, the Bloc critic for Official languages, Mario Beaulieu.
Liberals don’t see it that way
The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Official Languages, Marc Serré, then criticized him and the Conservatives, reading a pre-written response, for “circulating false information”, reiterating that the modernization of the official languages will make it possible to work and be served in French by private businesses under federal jurisdiction from coast to coast.
The Liberals have indicated in recent weeks that they want Bill C-13 to pass third reading in the House of Commons by the holidays. To achieve this, they have been trying since then to considerably reduce the time for debate in committee, which has aroused the indignation of the Conservatives and the Bloc Québécois who denounce a “gag” motion.
The Liberal government and its ally, the New Democratic Party, agree that it’s time to move on to “the next step”, something they argue was asked “loudly” by the witnesses who marched.
They too are able to draw up a list of organizations that support their point of view. Mr. Serré notably quoted in an interview the Federation of Francophone and Acadian Communities of Canada, the Assembly of the Francophonie of Ontario, the Société de l’Acadie du Nouveau-Brunswick, the Société de la francophonie du Manitoba and an association of parents from New Brunswick.
He also criticized the “hypocrisy” of the Conservatives and the Bloc Québécois who, after having long called for a modernization of the Official Languages Act, are now “filibustering” in committee, when they presented and debated the last four meetings of amendments and sub-amendments aimed at hearing more witnesses.