Question Period Note: Royal Canadian Mounted Police: unilingual senior officers in bilingual positions

According to a media report, several senior officers at the Royal Canadian Mounted Police headquarters hold bilingual positions even though they don't speak French and don't undergo language training.

• The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is subject to the Official Languages Act. This Act stipulates that individuals appointed to supervisory and management positions in designated bilingual regions must have the ability to supervise employees in both official languages.
• The modernized Act has added provisions to ensure that all deputy ministers and associate deputy ministers are required to take language training upon appointment to ensure they have the ability to speak and understand both official languages clearly.
• Our government has also taken steps to strengthen bilingualism in the public service, notably by developing a new framework for language training.

• According to a media report, several senior officers at Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) headquarters hold bilingual positions even though they don't speak French and aren't currently taking language courses. In addition, the RCMP has indicated that due to confidentiality policies it could not provide the exact number of people who do not meet the language requirements of their position.
• The RCMP reports to Public Safety Canada and is subject to the Official Languages Act.
• On June 20, 2023, Bill C-13 - An Act to amend the Official Languages Act, to enact the use of French in federally regulated private businesses Act and to make related amendments to other Acts received Royal Assent.
• The modernized Act stipulates that individuals appointed to the positions of deputy minister, associate deputy minister or equivalent level in departments listed in Schedule I of the Financial Administration Act are required to undergo language training to "have the ability to speak and understand both official languages clearly".
o While this provision is effective immediately, individuals who were already in their current position at the time of implementation may remain so. It therefore only applies to future appointments.
• Deputy Ministers are appointed at the discretion of the Governor in Council and are not subject to the same second language evaluation requirements as federal public servants appointed under the Public Service Employment Act. Another condition of their employment as Governor in Council appointees is the obligation to support and promote the objectives of the Official Languages Act by fostering the use of both official languages in their federal institution.
• For supervisory and management positions, the modernized Act includes new obligations that will come into effect 2 years after Royal Assent, including:
o that in designated bilingual regions, public servants have the right to be supervised in the official language of their choice, regardless of the linguistic profile of their position.
o that managers and supervisors be able to communicate with employees in both official languages, regardless of the linguistic profile of the employee's position.
o that individuals in their current position at the time this change comes into effect may remain in that position.
• A technical change was made to the term "employee" so that it does not include contract agents.
• According to the Treasury Board Directive on Official Languages for People Management, "Across Canada, positions at the Assistant Deputy Minister or equivalent level are designated bilingual and require a superior level of second language proficiency."

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