Governor General and Air Canada CEO trigger thousands of complaints to languages czar
Canada’s Governor Common and Air Canada’s CEO had been linked to an explosion of complaints to the official languages commissioner prior to now yr.
Commissioner Raymond Théberge launched his report Tuesday indicating his workplace acquired 5,409 complaints in the course of the 2021-22 interval, in comparison with a quantity that fluctuated between 415 and 1,870 within the 9 previous years.
He says he acquired 1,346 complaints following the July appointment of Gov. Gen. Mary Simon — the primary Indigenous particular person named to the position — on account of her poor grasp of the French language. Simon, in the meantime, is fluent in English and Inuktitut.
Théberge’s workplace additionally acquired 2,680 complaints after Michael Rousseau, the CEO of Air Canada — which is topic to the Official Languages Act — gave a speech in November throughout which he barely spoke French.
The commissioner is recommending {that a} committee analyze whether or not data of French and English must be a prerequisite for individuals being thought-about for high-ranking posts within the public sector and for posts that require nomination by authorities officers.
Théberge says it’s an “error” to call individuals who can’t communicate each official languages to positions of authority.
