The next president of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) will be bilingual, assured the Minister of Heritage, Pablo Rodriguez, despite the fact that the job offer specifies that proficiency in both official languages would be “preferable”.
“He will be bilingual. Believe me, he will be bilingual, ”said Mr. Rodriguez on Tuesday as he entered the meeting of the Council of Ministers. However, he declined to say how he will go about honoring his commitment.
According to the Minister, the fact that the posting of the position does not currently require bilingualism is simply “unacceptable”.
“The television production we have in Quebec is extraordinary,” explained Mr. Rodriguez. What is being done in English Canada, too, is extraordinary. It is often different. It takes someone who is able to understand not just the language, but also the nuances in it all. »
The administrative tribunal announced in mid-May that the term of its president, Ian Scott, an English speaker, will end in September. The annual salary of Mr. Scott’s successor can reach $328,100.
As for the tradition that the presidents of the CRTC alternate between francophones and anglophones, Minister Rodriguez indicated that it “does not matter”.
“Whether a person is Anglophone and he learns, speaks French or he is Francophone and speaks English, I have no problem,” he said. What is rather “fundamental” is that he speaks French, and this, from the moment he is hired.
The government is clearly showing its desire to favor candidates from under-represented groups. The “Diversity and Official Languages” section of the job posting mentions that preference may be given to women, Aboriginal peoples, persons with disabilities and visible minorities.