The Interim Liberal Leader, Roger Melanson, is calling on the Premier to unveil the parameters of the Official Languages Act review that must be completed by December 31st, 2021 as mandated Act.
“The mandated review of the Official Languages Act is a very important process and the Premier’s nonchalant attitude towards it shows just how little he understands about the importance of protecting language rights in the province,” says the Liberal Leader. “The clock is ticking and the Premier needs to at least divulge the parameters of the review so that the population can be assured that this exercise will be done properly.”
With only a little over a year until the deadline, the Liberal Leader is wondering how thorough the review will be.
“The previous review done under the Conservative Alward government took two years to complete. Now we are 13 months away from the deadline and the Premier hasn’t even established the parameters of the review and does not seem concerned about the tight timeline.” says Roger Melanson. “It’s no secret that the Higgs government is known for doing things behind closed doors. I think it’s vital for Premier Higgs to be transparent and allow this process to be done publicly. As I’ve stated in the past, creating a Standing committee on Official Languages and allowing the members to hold public hearings on the Official Languages Act would be a great way to conduct this review in an open and transparent manner.”
In November’s Speech from the Throne, there was a vague mention of the job market and finding potential solutions on language proficiency. The Liberal Leader is concerned about what is implied by this statement. “I’m concerned about the Premier’s intentions on Language issues, and I’m sure I’m not the only one. He hasn’t shown a great deal of respect for the review of the Official Languages Act, and he’s included odd, vague statements on language proficiency in his Speech from the Throne. I encourage the Premier to immediately identify the parameters of the review to show that he recognizes the importance of Official Languages in the province.”