LANG meeting 17 · 2025-12-11 — Committee Evidence — LegisWatch

Summary

The House of Commons Official Languages Committee met to study the use of French in government communications and federal institutions. The sole witness was Raymond Théberge, Commissioner of Official Languages, appearing near the end of his mandate.

Commissioner Théberge stated that while the Official Languages Act imposes requirements on federal institutions, not individuals, it is desirable for leaders like the Prime Minister to embody linguistic equality. He noted that 255 admissible complaints about language of work were filed in the last fiscal year, calling this the tip of the iceberg, and that 766 complaints concerned communications with the public. He welcomed the modernized act and enhanced linguistic requirements for bilingual supervisory positions but expressed concern about employees supervised by unilingual incumbents. On the proposed administrative monetary penalties regulations, he said many of his recommendations were included but warned that the process to impose a penalty appears too time-consuming and cumbersome, and he urged the government to address this. He also stressed that French is too often treated as a translated language and that budget cuts risk undermining language training and promotion efforts.

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Witnesses · 1

Raymond Théberge

Commissioner of Official Languages, Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages

Opening remarks

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Hello, honourable committee members. I wish to acknowledge that we are meeting on the traditional, unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe people, an indigenous people from the Ottawa valley. Your study on the use of French in government communications and federal institutions is very important and I want to thank you for it. During my mandate, you have often heard me say that bilingualism is an essential skill for all leaders, whether in politics, in the federal public service or even in the private sector. I know that the Official Languages Act imposes requirements on federal institutions, but not on individuals. It is those institutions that are responsible for ensuring that their official communications, including speeches by the Prime Minister, are available in both official languages. While the act does not impose any personal requirement on the Prime Minister, it is nonetheless desirable for him to embody that symbol of Canadian identity and linguistic equality in his daily work. When it comes to federal institutions, the promotion of both official languages starts at the top. In other words, senior managers must lead by example through their…

Full testimony ↗

Official Languages

Summary

Witnesses · 1

Bills mentioned