April 25, 2001
Ottawa, Ontario
In keeping with the commitment set out in Red Book III to strengthen
bilingualism in Canada, Prime Minister Jean Chrétien today announced that the
Honourable Stéphane Dion will assume responsibility for coordinating
issues related to Official Languages. This new responsibility is in addition to
Minister Dion’s current duties as President of the Queen’s Privy Council for
Canada and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs.
"Linguistic duality is a fundamental element of the Canadian identity
and an issue of key importance for our government," the Prime Minister
stated. "Tremendous progress has been made on bilingualism since the
adoption of the Official Languages Act in 1969. I have asked Minister
Dion to consider strong new measures that will continue to ensure the vitality
of minority official-language communities and to ensure that Canada’s official
languages are better reflected in the culture of the federal public service. I
know that he will carry out these tasks with great ability."
In addition to coordinating issues in which the question of official
languages is raised, Minister Dion will be at the forefront of the federal
government’s efforts to promote bilingualism. His duties will also include the
development of a new policy framework to strengthen the official languages
program.
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PMO Press Office: (613) 957-5555
