Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke for the first time Friday on the controversy surrounding Air Canada boss Michael Rousseau. However, he did not want to say whether the CEO should resign from his post.
“I find this an unacceptable situation and I am happy that the Minister of Official Languages is following up,” replied Mr. Trudeau to a question from Radio-Canada as he left a building. downtown Ottawa where he got his seasonal flu shot.
He then turned on his heels without answering a question about the resignation requests of the CEO.
The Bloc Québécois and the New Democratic Party demanded Thursday the resignation of Michael Rousseau, in office since last April. Air Canada has been accumulating complaints about its provision of services in French for years. From 2016 to today, the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages received 431, including 160 only in 2019.
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, LAP RESSE
Michael rousseau
Commissioner Raymond Théberge believes that this is “a systemic problem” within the air carrier. His predecessor Graham Fraser sounded the alarm in 2016 in a damning report.
The reform of Official Languages Act must give more powers to the Commissioner to enforce his recommendations. Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor reiterated on Thursday the government’s commitment to move forward without specifying a deadline.
The bill was first introduced in June a week before the end of parliamentary proceedings and two months before Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called an election.