Statement made on 03 March 2011 by Senator Claudette Tardif
Hon. Claudette Tardif (Deputy Leader of the Opposition):
Honourable senators, today Graham Fraser, the Commissioner of Official Languages, released a study on the importance of leadership in the public service to create a bilingual workplace.
The Commissioner found certain shortcomings that the government needs to focus on and stated that even though linguistic duality is a fundamental value within Canadian society, creating a public service that reflects Canada's linguistic duality remains a challenge.
Commissioner Fraser also noted that it is imperative that managers in the public service consider federal employees as individuals with a specific culture, identity and language. Managers must also work towards a better recognition and attainment of their linguistic obligations under the Official Languages Act.
Can the leader tell us whether her government is committed to working with the commissioner and the minister in order to implement the five recommendations and, if so, how will it do so?
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