Ottawa will recognize French as the official language of Quebec
(Ottawa) The Trudeau government intends to include in black and white, in the new version of the Official Languages Act , that French is the official language of Quebec, has learned La Presse .
In principle, the Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages, Mélanie Joly, must present by the end of the parliamentary session a bill to implement the main lines of the reform of the Official Languages Act that 'she unveiled at the start of the New Year.
The formal recognition in federal law that French is the official language of Quebec is an unprecedented gesture on the part of the Trudeau government, especially since all previous Liberal governments have made themselves first and foremost
the apostle of official bilingualism across the country.
"The recognition that French is the official language of Quebec will be in the new law," confirmed to La Presse a government source who requested anonymity because she was not authorized to speak publicly about the intentions of the Trudeau government. .
The new Official Languages Act will, however, maintain the federal government's obligations towards official language minorities, including the English-speaking minority in Quebec, it was specified.
The organizations that represent the English-speaking minority have made no secret of their fears that Ottawa will abandon its historic role towards official language minorities. Behind the scenes, ministers - including Mélanie Joly and the Minister of Justice David Lametti - have increased their meetings with representatives of these organizations in order to reassure them, we learned.
This process will complete a shift that Justin Trudeau's Liberals initiated last fall during the presentation of the Speech from the Throne. In this Speech from the Throne, the Trudeau government recognized that the situation in the country was "special" and that Ottawa therefore had "the responsibility to protect and promote French not only outside Quebec, but also in Quebec" .
Concretely, the Trudeau government recognized for the first time that the French were in decline in Quebec and that they had to contribute to efforts to rectify the situation. This statement was made several months before the Legault government unveiled
its intentions to strengthen Act 101 in Quebec.
The formal recognition in federal law that French is the official language of Quebec is an unprecedented gesture on the part of the Trudeau government, especially since all previous Liberal governments have made themselves first and foremost
the apostle of official bilingualism across the country.
"The recognition that French is the official language of Quebec will be in the new law," confirmed to La Presse a government source who requested anonymity because she was not authorized to speak publicly about the intentions of the Trudeau government. .
The new Official Languages Act will, however, maintain the federal government's obligations towards official language minorities, including the English-speaking minority in Quebec, it was specified.
The organizations that represent the English-speaking minority have made no secret of their fears that Ottawa will abandon its historic role towards official language minorities. Behind the scenes, ministers - including Mélanie Joly and the Minister of Justice David Lametti - have increased their meetings with representatives of these organizations in order to reassure them, we learned.
This process will complete a shift that Justin Trudeau's Liberals initiated last fall during the presentation of the Speech from the Throne. In this Speech from the Throne, the Trudeau government recognized that the situation in the country was "special" and that Ottawa therefore had "the responsibility to protect and promote French not only outside Quebec, but also in Quebec" .
Concretely, the Trudeau government recognized for the first time that the French were in decline in Quebec and that they had to contribute to efforts to rectify the situation. This statement was made several months before the Legault government unveiled
its intentions to strengthen Act 101 in Quebec.
Upcoming bill
In her reform project unveiled in February, Minister Mélanie Joly proposed to strengthen the French language by decreeing that employees working for federally chartered companies such as banks and telecommunications companies had the right to work in French in Quebec. In addition, businesses with 50 more employees will be required to communicate with these employees in French if they so desire.
These measures should also be reflected in the upcoming bill. And they will also apply in regions of the country that have a large pool of Francophones, such as New Brunswick, as well as eastern and northern Ontario.
In recent months, Justin Trudeau's Liberals have stepped up actions and statements to show that they were sincere in their efforts to strengthen the French language in the country.
However, it should be noted that the urgency of supporting the French language is the subject of a broad consensus among federal political parties. At the request of the Conservative Party, the House of Commons even held a debate in the spring on the decline of French in Quebec and each party was able to put its two cents in.
It also explains why Prime Minister Justin Trudeau did not take into account the Legault government's intention to include two new articles in the Constitution Act of 1867 to recognize that Quebecers form a nation and that French is the language. official of Quebec. This approach is contained in Bill 96, presented by the Minister of Justice Simon Jolin-Barette, which aims to strengthen Bill 101.
In her reform project unveiled in February, Minister Mélanie Joly proposed to strengthen the French language by decreeing that employees working for federally chartered companies such as banks and telecommunications companies had the right to work in French in Quebec. In addition, businesses with 50 more employees will be required to communicate with these employees in French if they so desire.
These measures should also be reflected in the upcoming bill. And they will also apply in regions of the country that have a large pool of Francophones, such as New Brunswick, as well as eastern and northern Ontario.
In recent months, Justin Trudeau's Liberals have stepped up actions and statements to show that they were sincere in their efforts to strengthen the French language in the country.
However, it should be noted that the urgency of supporting the French language is the subject of a broad consensus among federal political parties. At the request of the Conservative Party, the House of Commons even held a debate in the spring on the decline of French in Quebec and each party was able to put its two cents in.
It also explains why Prime Minister Justin Trudeau did not take into account the Legault government's intention to include two new articles in the Constitution Act of 1867 to recognize that Quebecers form a nation and that French is the language. official of Quebec. This approach is contained in Bill 96, presented by the Minister of Justice Simon Jolin-Barette, which aims to strengthen Bill 101.
Justin Trudeau's support for this initiative sent shock waves across the country. The Prime Minister has been sharply criticized by some constitutional experts, editorial writers and English-speaking columnists.
With a federal election looming on the horizon, Liberal strategists intend to do everything they can to pull the rug out from under the Bloc Québécois on linguistic issues and avoid any clash with the Legault government.
With a federal election looming on the horizon, Liberal strategists intend to do everything they can to pull the rug out from under the Bloc Québécois on linguistic issues and avoid any clash with the Legault government.
Joël-Denis Bellavance
THE Presse
https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/politique/2021-06-14/ottawa-reconnaitra-le-francais-comme-la-langue-officielle-du-quebec.php?utm_source=newsletter-la-matinale&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=202106140642-redac-matinale-aws
THE Presse
https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/politique/2021-06-14/ottawa-reconnaitra-le-francais-comme-la-langue-officielle-du-quebec.php?utm_source=newsletter-la-matinale&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=202106140642-redac-matinale-aws