Statement made on 03 November 2010 by Senator Terry Mercer
Hon. Terry M. Mercer:
Honourable senators, every federal institution has a duty to consult official language communities about their needs. In fact, this consultation is an obligation under the Official Languages Act. According to the recent report of the Commissioner of Official Languages, some institutions fail to consult these communities entirely while others hold consultations but, at the end of the day, do not take the opinions expressed into account.
The commissioner says that he truly believes that strong leadership will enable federal institutions to address these types of shortcomings.
Will the federal government ensure that all federal institutions falling under the act will take positive measures to establish effective consultation mechanisms, thus respecting their obligations?
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