The recent announcement by the Ford government does not change anything and only serves to appease the Francophone community. Do not be fooled…
And as Commissioner Boileau has always said: in the French-speaking world, we must always fight to move forward, otherwise we will fall back. With Friday’s improvised announcement, we are still moving backwards, our gains continue to be eroded.
However, the Ontario and Canadian Francophonie must be proud and congratulate themselves for mobilizing. Last Thursday, I expressed the courage of the member for Glengarry Prescott-Russell for her position.
The Ford government’s senseless actions towards Francophones once again prove that we must always remain vigilant and demand real changes.
First, the role of the French Language Services Commissioner must unequivocally regain its full independence. This is what the Liberal caucus is demanding of the government because an Office under the supervision of the Ombudsman is not an office that is accountable to the Legislative Assembly and it represents a step backward for services in French.
Our major francophone university project is always put aside by the Conservatives. We need the first cohort in 2020 to ensure the development of our Francophone youth; not investing remains unacceptable.
In the end, the only real change of course in this announcement is the return to a stand-alone Francophone Affairs Ministry, which amounts to the Status Quo. And we are entitled to wonder where the additional resources needed for the proper functioning of the Ministry are.
The Ford government’s record in terms of Francophonie is a disaster for the community and is gradually eroding our gains. It is therefore up to us to demand changes to take back
“Notre Place”!