Latest news with #RaymondThéberge
CTV News
5 hours ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Official Languages Commissioner concerned about bilingualism in the public service
Commissioner of Official Languages of Canada Raymond Theberge holds a press conference at the National Press Theatre in Ottawa on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press) Canadian Official Languages Commissioner Raymond Théberge says he is concerned about the federal government's inability to comply with requirements regarding employee bilingualism, as dictated by the Official Languages Act. In his annual report, released on Tuesday, the commissioner notes that progress has been made following his recommendations but says what he describes as a systemic problem remains very real. He points out that of the five recommendations affecting all of the institutions concerned, four have been partially implemented, while the fifth has not been implemented at all. 'Federal institutions have had two years to act on my recommendations. I must therefore urge these institutions to put in place more formal plans and mechanisms to support the full implementation of my recommendations,' he writes. Unilingual supervisors Théberge places particular emphasis on the issue surrounding second language proficiency among public service supervisors. The report comes three days before the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat was set to move forward with its plan to 'raise the minimum second language proficiency requirement for bilingual supervisory positions that oversee staff working in a region designated as bilingual for language of work purposes.' He points out that 'all supervisors in designated bilingual regions — not just those in bilingual positions — must have the necessary skills to respect the right of employees to be supervised in the official language of their choice.' Théberge says he sees these changes as 'a step in the right direction, but I am concerned about the fate of staff supervised by unilingual incumbents or those who do not meet the language requirements.' He adds he is concerned that the responsibility is being placed in the hands of the federal institutions themselves. He says he is recommending that the Treasury Board president 'establish a monitoring mechanism for federal institutions, which will have to ensure that measures are put in place and maintained to protect the language rights of employees in designated bilingual regions who are supervised by unilingual incumbents and by those who do not meet the language requirements.' He points out that, under the modernization of the Official Languages Act, 'the right to work in the official language of one's choice will apply, as of June 2025, to all public servants whose position is located in a bilingual region for language of work purposes, regardless of the linguistic designation of their position.' The commissioner acknowledges that 'its implementation will not be without challenges. Measures will have to be taken to ensure that employees are well-informed of their rights and supervisors of their obligations.' 700 bilingual offices At the same time, amendments to the Official Languages Regulations have led to a review of their application based on the 2021 census, in order to confirm which offices should be required to offer services in both official languages. The commissioner notes that the Treasury Board Secretariat expects approximately 700 offices to be designated to offer bilingual service. However, he laments, implementing these new offices could prove difficult. 'According to my contacts in the regions, managers point out that they expect difficulties in recruiting bilingual staff and that language training budgets do not allow for a rapid increase in their bilingual capacity.' At the same time, he notes that budget cuts have been affecting the federal public service for several months. 'Unfortunately, experience shows us that, in such a context, it is too often the official language obligations that are considered superfluous in federal institutions and end up being subject to budget cuts,' he said. He is recommending that all federal administrators 'ensure that their organizations respect and take into account language obligations and rights when implementing budget cuts in the federal public service' by May 30, 2027. Privy Council: lack of accountability Théberge also reprimanded the Privy Council Office — which is, in a sense, the prime minister's department — after investigating the State of Emergency Commission, which was tasked with assessing the merits of declaring a state of emergency to end the occupation of Ottawa by truckers and other protesters. This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on June 17, 2025.
CTV News
8 hours ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Languages commissioner raises concerns with new bilingual requirements for public service supervisors
Canada's official languages commissioner is calling on the Treasury Board to implement a 'monitoring mechanism' to protect the language rights of employees as the federal government introduces new language requirements for supervisors. As of June 20, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat will increase the minimum second-language proficiency requirements for bilingual supervisor positions from an intermediate to a superior level – raising the requirement from BBB to CBC. A CBC profile means a candidate for a bilingual supervisor position must be advanced (C level) in reading and oral proficiency, and have an intermediate (B level) for writing. According to the Treasury Board Secretariat, the requirements will only apply to new appointments to bilingual positions responsible for the supervision of employees occupying positions in bilingual regions. The new requirements will apply to supervisor positions in the national capital region, bilingual regions of eastern Ontario, Montreal and Quebec, and New Brunswick. In the annual report to Parliament, Commissioner of Official Languages Raymond Théberge says the initiative is a 'step in the right direction.' However, he says the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat will have to ensure employees with language-of-work rights can work and be supervised in the official language of their choice. 'I am concerned about what might happen to employees who are supervised by incumbents of unilingual supervisory positions or by incumbents of bilingual positions who do not meet the CBC second-language requirement,' Théberge said in the report. 'In fact, the CBC initiative does not provide for administrative measures to protect employees' right to work in the official language of their choice.' Théberge recommends the president of the Treasury Board implement a monitoring mechanism for federal institutions to 'ensure that they take and maintain measures to protect the language rights of employees in designated bilingual regions,' who are supervised by incumbents who do not meet the second-language requirement. The officer of the Commissioner of Official Languages says it received 307 complaints in Ottawa and 89 in Quebec in the 2024-25, including 101 language of work complaints in federal officers in Ottawa. Federal officials becoming bilingual The official languages commissioner says he is 'closely monitoring' the transition of 700 federal offices that will soon be required to be bilingual. Some federal offices will soon be designated to offer services in both official languages to reflect the 2021 Census data. The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat is coordinating the new language obligations for 2027, and federal institutions are responsible for taking the 'necessary actions to confirm the linguistic designation' of their office, according to the report. 'Implementing the changes could prove to be challenging,' Théberge said. 'According to my regional offices, front-line managers in many different federal institutions say they expect to have difficulty recruiting bilingual staff and that their language training budgets will not allow them to rapidly increase their bilingual capacity.' Théberge says the bilingual service offices will have a 'positive impact' on the 'vitality of official language minority communities.' The report says federal institutions need to ensure they have enough staff to provide services in both official languages, either through recruiting or providing language training to existing personnel. 'I am therefore encouraging all federal institutions to start planning for this transition now. I will be closely monitoring the transition of federal offices that will soon be required to provide services in both official languages,' Théberge said.
Montreal Gazette
11 hours ago
- Business
- Montreal Gazette
Quebec sees sharp rise in federal language complaints amid Canada-wide surge
By Canadians aren't staying quiet about language rights. Across the country, there were 1,163 language complaints, compared to 847 during the previous period — a 37 per cent jump, according to the 2024-25 annual report of the Commissioner of Official Languages, published Tuesday. Despite the surge, the total number of complaints remains below the 10-year average. And it's far lower than the 5,409 complaints filed in 2021-22, when thousands of Canadians lodged formal grievances about an English-only speech in Montreal by Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau. The number of federal language complaints filed in Quebec jumped by 21 per cent over the past year, newly released figures show — part of a nationwide increase. Quebecers filed 211 complaints in 2024-25, up from 175 the previous year, the report said. Seventy per cent of the Quebec complaints were about language used in public services, while issues related to language of work came in second at 27 per cent. The complaints allege that federal institutions infringed on rights regarding English or French. Canadians can ask the commissioner to investigate federal government institutions, airport authorities, Crown corporations such as Via Rail and some private companies, including Air Canada and Canadian National Railway. Raymond Théberge, the Commissioner of Official Languages, is scheduled to discuss the figures at a news conference on Tuesday. This story will be updated.
Ottawa Citizen
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Ottawa Citizen
New language requirements for public service supervisors don't go far enough, says official languages commissioner
Article content New second-language requirements for supervisors do not go far enough to protect the language rights of public servants, a new report from the official language commissioner found. Article content In the report, Official Languages Commissioner Raymond Théberge said that exemptions will limit the success of new language requirements for public service supervisors in bilingual regions. Article content Article content Article content The new Treasury Board requirements will come into effect on June 20 and the rules will require supervisors in those areas to have a CBC in their second-language. A CBC level means having the highest proficiency levels in reading and conversation with an intermediate level in writing. Article content Article content The previous required levels of language of supervisors was BBB — an intermediate proficiency in oral, reading and writing. Article content However, the requirements will only apply to new supervisors, and those already employed in the public service will not have to improve their credentials until they leave their current position. Article content 'I applaud this initiative as a step in the right direction, but I am concerned about what might happen to employees who are supervised by incumbents of unilingual supervisory positions or by incumbents of bilingual positions who do not meet the CBC second-language requirement,' Théberge wrote in the report. Article content Article content Théberge recommended implementing a 'monitoring mechanism' to ensure the language rights of public servants who wish to be supervised in French or English. Article content Article content The monitoring mechanism would ensure the new language requirements are followed in bilingual regions. Article content In another recommendation, Théberge warned of cutting language training in light of budget cuts across the public service. The commissioner recommended that deputy heads take measures to ensure language obligations and rights in any budget reductions. Article content 'Unfortunately, experience has shown all too often that in this type of situation, official languages obligations are seen as superfluous in federal institutions and end up being the subject of budget cuts,' Théberge wrote. Article content Théberge's report also detailed complaints filed by public servants about language in the workplace. Most of these complaints were submitted in the Ontario side of the National Capital Region, with 101 complaints. In contrast, the Quebec parts of the NCR had 40 such complaints. Meanwhile the rest of Quebec had 56 complaints and Ontario had 21.
Cision Canada
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Cision Canada
Tabling of the 2024-2025 annual report: A year of transition for official languages Français
GATINEAU, QC , /CNW/ - Commissioner of Official Languages of Canada Raymond Théberge tabled his 2024–2025 annual report in Parliament today. Two years ago, the modernized Official Languages Act gave the Commissioner new powers to help ensure that federal institutions comply with the Act and to help guarantee respect for Canadians' language rights. After working to lay the necessary foundations for the use of these powers in 2023–2024, the Commissioner and his team continued their efforts in 2024–2025 with the launch of a new mediation service and the implementation of the power to enter into compliance agreements, make orders and publish investigation summaries. However, some of the key elements needed to fully implement the modernized Act are still missing. Until strong regulations are in place and the required orders have been made, particularly for Part VII (Advancement of equality of status and use of English and French) and for administrative monetary penalties, we will be limited in our ability to achieve the objectives of the modernized Act. This is in addition to the efforts to bring into force the Use of French in Federally Regulated Private Businesses Act, which will extend the Commissioner's investigative powers. The 1,163 admissible complaints filed with the Office of the Commissioner in 2024–2025 show that non-compliance with the Act continues to be an issue and that there is a real need for the Act to be fully implemented. In his annual report, which reflects a year of transition on many levels, the Commissioner has made four recommendations regarding commissions of inquiry, language of work, and language rights and obligations amid budget cuts in the federal public service. Quote "We've made significant progress with the modernization of the Official Languages Act, but the work is far from complete. It's crucial to ensure that we have the means, including strong regulations, to carry out the major societal project of fully implementing the modernized Act, as much for official language minority communities as for federal public servants and the Canadian public." In 2024–2025, the Commissioner of Official Languages received a total of 1,163 admissible complaints under the Official Languages Act. Of that number: 766 concerned communications with and services to the public (Part IV); 255 involved language of work (Part V); 20 were about the participation of English-speaking and French-speaking Canadians (Part VI); 33 were related to the advancement of equality of status and use of English and French (Part VII); 71 were about the language requirements of positions (Part XI, section 91); and 18 concerned other parts of the Act (parts I, II, III, VIII and IX). Recommendations made in the 2024–2025 annual report: The Commissioner recommends that by June 30, 2027, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Official Languages identify and catalogue the issues faced by temporary commissions of inquiry in relation to non-compliance with the Official Languages Act and that it suggest legislative or other means of improving compliance with their language obligations. In parallel with Recommendation 1, the Commissioner recommends that by June 30, 2026, the Clerk of the Privy Council develop and implement a plan so that whenever a commission of inquiry is established, the Clerk shall: provide the head of the commission and their team with comprehensive information about their official languages obligations, including their duty to serve the public in both official languages at all stages of the commission's work; and work with the head of the commission and their team to identify the exact needs of the commission so that it is fully equipped to meet its official languages obligations, and provide the commission with the resources it needs to operate optimally in both official languages. The Commissioner recommends that by September 30, 2026, the President of the Treasury Board implement a monitoring mechanism for federal institutions to ensure that they take and maintain measures to protect the language rights of employees in designated bilingual regions who are supervised by incumbents of unilingual positions or by incumbents of bilingual positions who do not meet the CBC second-language requirement. The Commissioner recommends that by May 30, 2027, the deputy heads of federal government institutions take the necessary measures to ensure that their institutions' language obligations and their employees' language rights are respected and taken into account during any budget reduction exercises in the federal public service.
