Several days ago, our government unveiled its plan to modernize the Official Languages ​​Act. Never has a federal government gone as far to protect and promote French while strengthening its support for linguistic minorities.

We wanted to come back on this announcement to underline all the work accomplished in order to arrive to this reform project. Mandated by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Minister Mélanie Joly successfully completed an exercise that is both complex and very delicate. Following a broad consultation undertaken in 2019, the right balance had to be found in order to meet the needs and expectations of the various communities while remaining within areas of federal jurisdiction.

As Members of Parliament, we got to know our Townshippers and we now have a better understanding of their reality, including that of having difficulty obtaining essential services in their mother tongue. For the 2.1 million Canadians who live in a linguistic minority situation, the reform project aims to support the vitality of their institutions in sectors such as health, education, culture, immigration and justice.

To adapt to new digital and Canadian realities, and to support the creation and distribution of content in both languages, our government will also strengthen its support for federal cultural institutions such as CBC and Radio-Canada. And in order to defend language rights, the Court Challenges Program will be protected and the powers of the Commissioner of Official Languages ​​will be broadened, which will allow greater accountability and will protect and support those living in a linguistic minority situation.

The French-speaking majority in Quebec, to which we belong, lives under the pressure of being a minority in Canada, in North America, but also in many workplaces and on the electronic platforms that feed us abundantly when its time to inform and entertain ourselves. We are proud of our language; we want to protect it and make it shine. It’s our identity.

For this reason, we wanted to point out that our government is the first to recognize that French needs to be protected and promoted across Canada, including Quebec. The reform project therefore provides for new rights in terms of language of work and service in enterprises under federal jurisdiction in Quebec and in other regions of the country with a strong Francophone presence.

The reform also aims to encourage bilingualism across the country by facilitating access to French immersion schools outside Quebec, by supporting federal officials in learning their second language and by only appointing bilingual judges to the Supreme Court.

That is why we are proud of our Liberal team, which has been able to develop an official languages ​​reform project that recognizes the needs, expectations and rights of our various communities. Our two official languages ​​are at the heart of our Canadian identity and our government will always be there to protect minorities.

Marie-Claude Bibeau, MP for Compton-Stanstead, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

Lyne Bessette, MP for Brome-Missisquoi

Élisabeth Brière, MP for Sherbrooke, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages