(Ottawa) The big bosses of CBC/Radio-Canada and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) were summoned to appear before a parliamentary committee on Wednesday to explain language controversies.
Updated yesterday at 8:44 p.m.
Michel Saba The Canadian Press
The elected officials who sit on the Standing Committee on Official Languages cannot digest that the public broadcaster entrusted the French adaptation of a podcast show to a French studio to avoid the Quebec accent, and that senior officials are filling bilingual positions in the process unable to communicate in French.
“This story is completely, completely unacceptable,” sighed Conservative MP Bernard Généreux as he presented his motion on the “CBC Podcasts saga” at the start of the evening, which was passed unanimously.
According to him, the Quebec accent, like elsewhere in the Canadian Francophonie, “does not need to justify its place” to be understood.
“If we in Canada can’t be proud of our language, we have a serious problem,” he said.
In recent days, CBC/Radio-Canada president and CEO Catherine Tait issued a “sincere apology” and assured that measures would be taken “to rectify the situation and, most importantly, to prevent something like this from happening again in the future happened.” “.
“It was a mistake, period,” she wrote Friday in a letter to the president of the artists’ association about the decision to entrust the dubbing of the “Alone: A Love Story” podcast to a Paris company by “internationally” “aspired to influence”.
She also announced that the French version had been withdrawn and that the dubbing would be entrusted to a Quebec company.
In addition to Ms Tait, MPs will send invitations to a CBC Podcasts manager, one of her marketing colleagues and Minister of Official Languages Randy Boissonnault.
The Liberals, who are in the minority in the committee and in the House of Representatives, also tried in vain to prevent the minister from being summoned.
The minister is spending “zero” time on the CBC case because it is not his responsibility, argued Franco-Ontarian MP Francis Drouin, who noted in passing that he would have “a bad problem” if the government made decisions for the broadcaster would meet, a “non-political” organization.
Conservative spokesman for official languages Joël Godin responded that it was the opposition’s job to ask questions.
“And the people who represent the government are the ministers,” he said. I think it is important that the Minister of Official Languages is the official who has to enforce the law […] be asked about this topic. »
When Marc Serré, Mr Boissonnault’s parliamentary secretary, stressed that elected officials will have the “opportunity” to ask questions of the minister at an appearance next week, New Democratic Party spokesperson for languages Niki Ashton replied: “Yes, he “comes to us, but to other things”.
Monolingual RCMP
PHOTO FRANÇOIS ROY, LA PRESS ARCHIVE
Royal Canadian Mounted Police Commissioner Mike Duheme
The same committee adopted a few minutes earlier, and also unanimously, a motion from the Bloc Québécois to invite RCMP Commissioner Michael Duheme no later than November 8 to discuss “the organization’s plan” to “comply with and respect the Official Languages Act.” French.”
Radio-Canada revealed in early October that officers at federal police headquarters in Ottawa are holding bilingual positions despite not knowing French and not taking courses to improve the situation.
“This is a blatant violation by the Federal Police of the Official Languages Act.” And it is far from the first time. […] There is really a deterioration,” said the bloc’s spokesman for official languages, Mario Beaulieu, when presenting his proposal.
Elected officials also decided to invite Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc. And that caused a stir again.
“There seems to be some sort of pattern here. For every proposal we have, we invite the minister. […] “I think that’s not realistic,” sent the liberal Marc Serré, who did not hide his anger.
Bloc MP Mario Beaulieu responded: “If the minister has to be held accountable for this, perhaps he will put pressure on things to change.”
In an email to The Canadian Press, the RCMP claims that “the majority” of senior managers are “proficient” in French and English.
The organization writes that it “recognizes” that the Official Languages Act “must be respected” and that it “intends to make all necessary efforts in this regard.”
The police service adds that senior staff members are appointed “to meet operational needs” and that they have “skills”. […] highly specialized” that are essential to ensuring public safety.