Conservatives, Bloc push for unequal approach to amending Canada's Official Languages Act

Ottawa -

The Bloc Québécois and Conservatives are pushing for an unequal approach to amending Canada's Official Languages Act — one that some warn could reduce English services in Quebec.

Proposed federal legislation is aimed at promoting and protecting French by recognizing its status as a minority language in Canada.

The bill is currently in front of a House of Commons committee, whose members are reviewing it clause by clause.

Conservative MP Joel Godin has proposed an amendment, at the request of the government of Quebec, that would require Ottawa to focus on expanding federally delivered services in the French language.

Liberal MP Anthony Housefather said the provision wouldn't add any new services in French, and the only effect would be on English services.

"This would reduce English services in Quebec," Housefather said Friday.

Julie Boyer, an assistant deputy minister at Canadian Heritage, said she agrees.

The amendment would potentially result in an asymmetrical bill that curbs English services at post offices, or at Service Canada, in Quebec, she said.

Bloc Québécois MP Mario Beaulieu said that's what his party wants.

"Perfectly equal bilingualism contributes to the decline of minority languages such as French," Beaulieu said in French.

He said the Conservative amendment would help ensure newcomers in Quebec choose federal services in French over English.

"We are not succeeding in sufficiently franchising new arrivals. That's why it's important that these criteria be there and that federal services be adapted to show that ideally French is the common language in Quebec, at least that it is predominant," Beaulieu said.

Housefather told a previous committee meeting that people in his Montreal riding — including many anglophones — are "scared" that the federal bill will incorporate elements of Quebec's Bill 96, with which he says his constituents disagree.

The provincial law was adopted in May and requires all provincial businesses to operate in French. At federal buildings in Quebec, services are offered in French and English, as per the Constitution that states both official languages have equal status.

The committee will continue debate on the Conservative amendment at a coming meeting.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 10, 2023.