NDP statement following the tabling of Bill C-32 to reform the Official Languages Act

NDP Official Languages Critic Alexandre Boulerice issued the following statement:

"Finally, the Liberals and Minister Joly have listened. After six years of pushing them on this crucial issue, theyhave finally proposed a long-awaited reform of the Official Languages Act.

For a long time, the NDP has beencalling on the Liberals to recognize the precarious situation of French in this country. People are concerned about the decline of French and the pandemic has only exacerbated the difficulties for many Francophones to access services in French.

Butcongratulations end here. For too long, the Liberals have ignored this issue, to the detriment of Francophone communities across the country.

The Liberals have no interest in the rights of Francophones and are now trying to win back their sympathy by any means necessary.

The Liberals are being very cynical in introducing the reform bill a week before the end of the parliamentary session. They are all for the show and pretend they wish to protect the French language, but it is important to remember, they voted against the bilingualism of Supreme Court judges and the application of the principles of Bill 101 to businesses under federal jurisdiction in Quebec.

Considering that the Liberals will do anything to trigger an election by ignoring the real needs of the population, it is a safe betto say this reform will be delayed once again.

All this is being done on the backs of Francophones across the country. It is a purely politicalmaneuver that further delays the adoption of measures essential to the survival of the French language from coast to coast to coast.

Quebecers and Francophones across the country are fed up with Liberal cynicism. New Democrats will continue to fight to preserve minority language rights in this country."