Federal languages commissioner wants Quebec to do more to help Anglos

The Quebec government has rejected a renewed call by Canada's official languages commissioner that it create an office of anglophone affairs to better serve the province's linguistic minority.

Graham Fraser told Canadian Press he met with the three Liberal anglophone members of Quebec's National Assembly and said there was "no indication" the governing party would create a body dedicated to Quebec's 600,000 anglophones.

The government's reaction is not a surprise to community groups in Quebec who often complain the Liberalgovernment's rhetoric about the province's anglophones doesn't match its actions.

The Liberals publicly acknowledge the importance of the province's English speakers as opposed to theirpredecessors who were, at times, openly hostile to Quebec's largest linguisticminority.

Control 'slowly eroding'

But members of Quebec's anglophone minority say local control over institutions at the heart of their community is slowly eroding,as is their influence over public policy regardless of thegovernment in power.

"The English community has a problem with successivegovernments," Fraser said. "They tend to be taken for grantedwhoever the government is. As a result, they have limited clout with Quebec City."

The Liberal government says its three anglophones MNAs Immigration Minister Kathleen Weil, Native Affairs Minister GeoffreyKelley and David Birnbaum, parliamentary assistant to PremierPhilippe Couillard sufficiently represent Quebec's Englishcommunity.

Fraser and the heads of anglophone community groups in theprovince disagree.

Sylvia Martin-Laforge, executive director ofthe anglophone lobbygroupQuebec Community Action Network, says having three anglo MNAsin Quebec City is "absolutely not" enough.

Her organization has access to politicians, but she said Englishgroups need direct access to the bureaucracy.

"What we need are inside coaches," she said. "Somebody whosejob it is to work with me in the provincial government."

She said a glaring example of why anglophones need an insidepartner is the recent introduction of Bill 10, which critics saywill further erode local control over the English-language hospitalnetwork.

Bill 10 amendments do not protect anglo institutions: rights group

10 years ago

Duration 2:51

The Quebec Community Groups Network says amendments to the Couillard government's health reform bill do not go far enough to protect anglophone health institutions.

Health Minister Gaetan Barrette's legislation would reform thegovernance of health institutions, which the government says willsave millions of dollars as it works towards balancing the budget.

But centralizing services makes the anglophone community nervous.

Any control it gives up is control given to Quebec City, whichdoesn't have the interests of anglophones as a priority, saidMartin-Laforge.

The English-speaking community is particularly sensitive toperceived threats against its governance of schools and hospitals,which are considered pillars of its identity and culture.

Giving up any control over schools or hospitals to francophoneQuebec City is considered unacceptable.

"The community built its institutions all of them,"Martin-Laforge said. "We bought the land, we built the buildings,we did all the work. If we don't have institutions we havenothing."

Building institutions

Birnbaum used to be part of building those institutions.

A formerhead of the Quebec English School Board Association, he told TheCanadian Press that an anglophone affairs office is not thesolution.

"I'm not sure the answer is to set up a political entity whichis specifically tasked with the concerns of the English-speakingcommunity," he said.

He said Couillard is the premier of all Quebecers and Bill 10will "go a long away" to addressing the concerns of the anglocommunity.

The bill is still in committee stage, he explained, and he askedthat anglophones remain patient as he's spent hours working onamendments to the bill.

He said it's important that people recognize the distinctionbetween the Liberals and the Parti Qubcois because his government"understands that English-speaking Quebec is an ally."

"I understand that it has to pay dividends, but it's importantto note the distinction."

Birnbaum said Quebecers will soon see some dividends as heexpects Couillard to introduce a plan to recruit and encourage moreanglophones into the Quebec civil service.

"Often making progress is simply preventing further erosion that's a tough reality but it's often the case for minoritycommunities," he said.