(Quebec) The National Assembly appointed the very first French language commissioner on Wednesday. The candidate of Prime Minister François Legault, Benoît Dubreuil, obtained the support of Québec solidaire, the Parti Québécois and the independent and former Liberal MP Marie-Claude Nichols. The Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ) voted against his nomination.
Ninety-five deputies supported the motion submitted by Mr. Legault in the Blue Room. The 17 Liberals present rejected it. The appointment of the commissioner required the support of at least two-thirds of the deputies.
The PLQ had announced Friday that it opposed the candidacy of Mr. Dubreuil because of “significant differences of vision”.
For its part, QS had made an about-face on Thursday and had finally decided to vote in favor of the appointment of Mr. Dubreuil.
Doctor of philosophy, Benoît Dubreuil has obtained various positions within the federal apparatus in recent years. He was most recently Acting Director General of Regional Operations for Eastern Canada at the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada. From 2016 to 2019, he was at Indigenous Services Canada.
He previously worked at the Commission for the Evaluation of College Education, as well as at the Center for International Studies and Research at the University of Montreal, among others.
The French Language Commissioner is a new watchdog created under the An Act respecting the official and common language of Quebec, French (Bill 96), passed last year. The mandate is for seven years and cannot be renewed.
The commissioner is responsible for “monitoring the evolution of the linguistic situation in Quebec”, according to the law. In particular, it must “monitor the knowledge, learning and use of French by immigrants”.
Its function is to “supervise respect for the fundamental rights” conferred by the Charter of the French language and “the fulfillment of the obligations” that it imposes on companies and the public administration.
It has investigative powers and can intervene in court for the defense of French. It has the power to formulate opinions and recommendations to the Minister of the French Language, to the government and to the National Assembly.