One-on-one with French language minister amid confusion about new health-care directive

Many people have become concerned lately about a new language directive that was issued by the Quebec government and how it would affect health-care services for the English-speaking community.

Amid the confusion about the new policy among the anglophone population, three Quebec ministers published an open letter in the media on Friday in an attempt to address those concerns.

• Read the ministers' open letter here

Jean-François Roberge, Quebec's minister of the French language, spoke to CTV News to clarify the new directives and respond to the criticisms in recent weeks. During the interview, he confirmed that a meeting is expected to take place next week with groups representing the English-speaking community.

Watch the video above for the full interview. This article has been edited for length and clarity.

CTV: I know you and your fellow ministers, Christian Dubé and Eric Girard, wrote an open letter already about English access to health and social services in languages other than French, to essentially say that nothing has changed, despite everything we've been seeing and reading the last few weeks. But if you say nothing has changed, why did we even need this directive?

ROBERGE: Because with the law — Bill 96 —some rights have been given to the anglophone community. The rule is that, normally, the Quebec government communicates in French but with Bill 96, and with this directive, the anglophone community has the right to communicate in English for administration matters.

It's important to clarify that they have — and they will continue to have — the right to get health care and social services without any questions and without having to show any documents.

CTV: Your directive mentions that another language may not be used unless there's a situation that demands it, such as an emergency. But, again, why mention this if nothing has changed? And if it is a right automatically, why not just say must be used?

ROBERGE: This is the wording of the health care and social law [for years]. It's the same thing. We didn't change anything. So those were the law, since — I think it's decades — and Quebecers accessed health care in hospitals in English when they want to and they don't have have to show any documents because it's not new that this wording is used in administrative directive or in the law.

CTV: But you do have definitions in this directive, such as one that defines an English-speaking person, or personnes d'expression anglaise, as someone who has been declared eligible for English education in Quebec.

But the guidelines that have existed previously for access to English health and social services stated clearly that an English-speaking person is someone who is more comfortable receiving their services in the English language. So do you still accept that? And if so, why ask for this admissibility document?

ROBERGE: Now we are mixing with this question two things. Asking something to the administration of the hospital, like if a Quebecer wants to ask for access to information. For example, he wants to know how many ambulances went to Santa Cabrini [Hospital} last year. It's not a health question, but it's a question about a hospital. This is what the directive's about. But the directive is not about health care.

If you you go to a hospital or you go to a clinic, you have a broken arm, or you just don't feel well, you want to see a doctor, you can speak in English. They will answer you in English. They won't ask for any document. They won't ask if you are a member of the anglophone community or where you're born.

CTV: So you're saying this is simply an accounting measure for the people within health-care institutions, and not something that actually applies to services?

ROBERGE: Exactly. Thank you for saying it that clearly.

CTV: Because there's been so much confusion about this since the directives came out. A lot of people were very concerned about how their health-care needs will be addressed in the future, especially even if they're functionally bilingual, but have issues communicating in French in a moment of crisis or panic. Is there not a better way you could have handled this by talking to us earlier?

ROBERGE: I think it's pretty clear when you read the directive well. It's written clearly that for health care and for social services, nothing changes. And it's written that article 15 of the Act respecting health services and social services continue to apply and nothing changed. Having said that, I'm doing this interview to be really sure that everybody understands it well. We will have a meeting next week with the members of anglophone community groups and if we have to clarify the directive after that meeting, we will do so.

CTV: On communication between employees in health and social services centers, are you not at all worried that some of these directives might create an alienation among employees? That they won't feel comfortable to just quickly speak to each other in a language that's comfortable to them when they desire it, or when there's a patient in the room and not be snitched on, and have to then deal with the Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF)?

ROBERGE: No. The OLF won't snitch. We don't have any microphones or cameras…

CTV: But you have fellow employees who will see this as an impetus to report on their colleagues and we already have such a beleaguered health-care system in this province. You know, we are dealing with people's lives here. In the end, is life not more important than language?

ROBERGE: Yes, it is. And health care is not negotiable, and the rights of the English-speaking community are respected and will continue to be respected. We are not spying on personal conversations between professionals in our hospitals. I don't think anybody thinks that's the case.

Again, I want to thank you for the opportunity to clarify this matter, to clear the air, and so that all Quebecers will understand the same story, the same line, and it's time to stop the fear campaign.