The Premier is backtracking on his decision to scrap a mandatory review of New Brunswick’s Official Languages Act. Hicks plans to introduce an amendment himself that would make the review mandatory, but he did not provide further details. The amendment is yet to be tabled in the House.
One of the substantive amendments deals with the timetable or periodic review of the Official Languages Act
Blaine Hicks told the congregation.
The Prime Minister says it will be up to each government to decide how this review will be carried out. The amendment will compel the current government to review the Official Language Act as per the approach it deems appropriate.
When he proposed scrapping the mandatory review of the Official Language Act, Blaine Hicks, as well as three francophone ministers, including Daniel Alain, argued that the creation of an official language secretariat would allow for continuous revision. The decision caused a real outcry among Acadian organizations in New Brunswick.
Blaine Hicks It will also present three other amendments to Bill 37 in official languages. One of these concerns the information to be included in the annual reports of the Royal Commissioner of Black Languages.
Seek consensus
According to the Prime Minister, the Conservative government’s approach will bring the two linguistic communities closer together, and he hopes the changes will have the unanimous support of all MPs.
We hope it will address the concerns already raised by the opposition and lead to a consensus
said the Prime Minister.
The amendments we are proposing are based on the recommendations of two commissioners, John McLaughlin and Judge Yvette Finn.
The Commissioners submitted a report on the review of the Official Languages Act in December 2021.
there SANB Welcoming the inauguration of the Prime Minister
Chairman of SANB, Alexandre Cédric Doucet was present during Hicks’ speech on the Official Language Act in the Legislative Assembly. Although few details of the government’s true intentions have been leaked, the Acadian leader sees something positive in it.
” Nevertheless, it is positive to see that the government is open to receiving amendments. »
Alexandre Cédric Doucet, president of the SANB, believes the government’s openness to changes to Bill 37 is positive.
Photo: Radio-Canada
It’s generally a good day, but the devil is truly in the details, as we’ll see if the revisions meet expectations. SANB and many francophone institutions
He commented.
What we want, first of all, is to take into account as many recommendations as possible from the report by Yvette Finn and John McLaughlin, and the most important of all of these is to return to the review every five years or so. Ten years
Alexandre Cédric Doucet says.
Opposition parties are cautious
Both the Liberals and the Greens want to wait to see the amendments before deciding on planned changes.
New Brunswick Liberal Party leader Susan Holt is confident that amendments to the Official Languages Act will receive unanimous support.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Alix Villeneuve
Liberal leader Susan Holt said the prime minister had not announced details of the amendments to be tabled next week.
We believe that with the changes they propose, we can unanimously support this legislation.
she says.
Green Party leader David Coon wants to wait to see the amendments before making a decision.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Michael Corriveau
Green Party leader David Coon is on the defensive. I don’t trust the Prime Minister at all.
He hopes the government will drop the idea of scrapping the law’s mandatory amendment. Periodic review of the Official Language Act is very important.
With information from Alix Villeneuve
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