On Tuesday, the federal government launched public consultations that will lead to the development of the next action plan for official languages, which will run from 2023 to 2028.
Official Languages Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor called this future plan “the main vehicle for implementing” Bill C-13 to modernize the Official Languages Act.
“It will be the perfect opportunity to address current issues such as Francophone immigration, the education continuum, immersion programs and more,” she said at a press briefing in Vancouver.
Consultations are taking place online until the end of August as well as through in-person discussion forums in all Canadian provinces and territories. Two stops are planned in Quebec, in Montreal and Sherbrooke.
Official Languages Commissioner Raymond Théberge made recommendations to the Trudeau government in a report released last week that is a follow-up to Ottawa’s current five-year action plan coming to an end.
The Commissioner is particularly concerned that the language clauses contained in the agreements concluded with the provinces and territories for early childhood services “are not strong enough”.
Asked to indicate which recommendations of the commissioner she would prioritize in the development of the 2023-2028 action plan, Minister Petitpas Taylor did not move forward.
“He nevertheless underlined the progress that has been made, but we are sure that we will take his comments into consideration and we will make sure that we will move forward with an action plan that will a real difference in the lives of Canadians,” she said.
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