Question Period Note: 2018-2019 Annual Report of the Commissioner of Official Languages

On May 9, 2019, the Commissioner of Official Languages publicly released his Annual Report and a position paper on the modernization of the Official Languages Act. Two of the four recommendations in the Annual Report concern the Canadian Heritage, while the other two are addressed to the Prime Minister of Canada.

• The government has read the 2018-2019 Annual Report of the Commissioner of Official Languages.
• We are firmly committed to our two official languages, as demonstrated by our Action Plan for Official Languages and the review undertaken to modernize the Official Languages Act.
• We took note of the Commissioner of Official Languages’ recommendations and will take them into account, in particular in the context of the modernization of the Official Languages Act.

• The 2018-2019 Annual Report of the Commissioner of Official Languages (COL) was released on May 9, 2019. It includes four recommendations.
• The first chapter deals with the need to modernize the Official Languages Act (OLA), and presents the three pillars of the COL’s vision for a modernized act that is relevant, dynamic and strong. The COL recommends that “the Prime Minister of Canada table a bill on modernizing the Official Languages Act by 2021.”
• The second chapter presents issues related to the implementation of the OLA in federal institutions, including challenges around providing services to the public, and language of work in the public service. In addition, the COL expresses his concerns about the current governance structure for official languages within the federal government and recommends that, “before the end of fiscal year 2019 20, the Prime Minister of Canada clarify official languages roles and responsibilities in the federal government [...].”
• The third and last chapter examines the implementation of the Action Plan for Official Languages. Although the COL welcomes the most recent Action Plan, which reflects the Government’s commitment to official languages, he expresses concerns about achieving tangible results for official language minority communities and makes the following two recommendations:
o “The COL recommends that, when entering into agreements that directly concern Official-Language Minority Communities, […] the Minister of Official Languages (sic):
 consider adding specific clauses that require the provinces and territories to consult with Official-Language Minority Communities and to take their needs into account; and
 clarify these language clauses and include transparency mechanisms that will enable the federal government to measure compliance by the provinces and territories.”
o “[…] the COL recommends that the Minister of Official Languages (sic):
 develop and publish an Accountability Framework by June 2020 that includes strict results assessment mechanisms for federal institutions that play a role in the Action Plan; and
 take a transparent approach in setting the terms and conditions for the investments set out in the Action Plan.”
• The COL’s report states that more than half of the admissible complaints in 2018-2019, 550 out of 1087, related to communications with the public and the provision of services under Part IV of the OLA.
• In addition to his Annual Report, the COL has released a position paper on the modernization of the OLA, which contains 18 recommendations. The COL recommends, among other things, that the modernization of the OLA include a Regulatory Framework to set out the procedures for carrying out the obligations imposed on federal institutions by Part VII. Its content is being deeply analyzed by the Official Languages Branch of Canadian Heritage.
• The Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages of Canada received more than 70 complaints related to Elections Canada's French-language services during the federal election in October 2019. Most of the complaints (52) were in Ontario, and related to a lack of bilingual staff in polling stations. The Office of the Commissioner and Elections Canada worked together and, in most cases, a resolution was reached within hours of receiving the complaints.

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