As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau flies to France for the Francophonie Summit, the opposition accuses his government of dragging its feet in tabling the decrees and regulations allowing the modernized version of the Official Languages Act – adopted in June 2023 – to come into force.
“When we have the will, the intention, we accelerate the process. (…) It shows that this government doesn’t care about the French fact in Canada, the French language and (its) decline, and that it is not consistent with its public discourse,” said Conservative official languages critic Joël Godin in an interview with The Canadian Press.
Up to three regulations and nine decrees are expected. These are “fundamental things,” Godin insisted.
One of these regulations will determine the famous “regions with a strong French-speaking presence” where, in addition to Quebec, it will be possible to work and be served in French in private companies under federal jurisdiction. Another will specify the fines that could be imposed on those who do not comply.
When the modernized law received royal assent, previous Official Languages Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor told reporters it would be about two years before we knew what it would entail.
Initially, a spokesperson for his successor, Randy Boissonneault, refused to confirm on Wednesday that the initial deadline would be respected, and the more precise one of 18 months agreed with the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne (FCFA).
“As soon as the mandatory stages of the development of the various regulations are concluded, they will be tabled in Parliament,” said Press Secretary for the Minister of Employment Mathis Denis. He said that “pre-consultations” took place “this spring,” that the drafting of the regulations is “underway,” and that the government wants to “do things well.”
A government source said that officials working on the file believe that a filing could take place in December.
FCFA President Liliane Roy, who is accompanying Trudeau’s delegation to the Francophonie Summit, said it is “not normal” that it takes years to learn the regulations and decrees.
“We agreed with what we heard, the 18 months. We said ‘ok’ with all the elements that had to be done, but no more. But now, what we are told is that we don’t really know when the 18 months started,” said Roy.
And while the time remaining for the Liberal government is uncertain, her fear is “that all the work that has been done will have to be redone.”
Roy, however, welcomed the unveiling of a federal policy on francophone immigration that presents “concrete measures” for the communities, including the establishment of an economic immigration program.
“That is a direct result of the new law,” she said.
Bloc critic for international Francophonie René Villemure and NDP critic for official languages Niki Ashton said they were on the same wavelength as the Conservative Joël Godin regarding the Liberals’ general lack of will to protect French.
“The federal government, in many areas, is a government of announcements. Projects are announced that are not followed up or a law is adopted but not implemented,” said Villemure.
He said he hoped that Trudeau’s participation in the summit would be “beneficial” for him and that it would give him “a little boost,” although he said he was not counting on it too much.
For Ashton, the delay in implementing the law is simply “unacceptable”.
“The Liberals wanted to be able to tick off the election promise (to adopt the modernization of the law), but not do the real work that is needed for the implementation (…) as well as the financing,” she stated.
She also fears the election deadline and the arrival, if the polls are true, of a Conservative majority government in Ottawa led by Pierre Poilievre. “We will see the same lack of respect, the same negligence, towards the protection of French that we saw during the Harper years,” she said.
Ashton also fears budget cuts to support official languages and cuts at Radio-Canada/CBC, in particular.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews