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THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA’S ACTION PLAN ON OFFICIAL LANGUAGES WILL TAKE ACCOUNT OF THE NEEDS OF QUEBEC’S ANGLOPHONE COMMUNITY

QUEBEC CITY, QUEBEC, October 20, 2002 – Speaking to members of the Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN), the Honourable Stéphane Dion, President of the Privy Council and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, stated that the Government of Canada’s action plan would reflect the concerns of Quebec’s Anglophone community. The Minister then traced an overview of the community and highlighted the special context in which it is evolving.

"Anglophones in Quebec speak the language of the majority in Canada and the continent, but are a minority within their province. English-speaking Quebecers cannot ignore the vulnerability of French within North America, while Francophones must take into account the legitimate concerns and the contribution of their province’s English-speaking communities."

Made up of a number of different communities, Quebec’s Anglophone community is distinguished by its diversity, which is well illustrated by the level of bilingualism that varies considerably from one region to another, the Minister indicated.

Minister Dion stated that the Government’s action plan would meaningfully reflect the specific needs of each of those communities. To that end, consultation mechanisms and an accountability framework will be put in place to maintain a productive and constructive dialogue with Quebec’s Anglophones and as a reminder to the Government that linguistic duality must be one of its priorities, the Minister promised.

Mr. Dion then addressed the themes set out in the QCGN’s document "Suggesting Change." The Minister first emphasized the need to remedy the under-representation of Anglophones within the federal public service in Quebec. "Those institutions that fail to adequately represent Quebec’s Anglophone community in their workforce, whether in the public service or outside it, need to be identified and held accountable and that is what we intend to do."

The Minister next looked at the challenges facing the Anglophone community in the area of education: demographic decline, the growing number of students with at least one parent whose mother tongue is not English, the desire to have a strong mastery of the French language, and the importance of maintaining small schools within rural communities and providing education to help retain young people in those communities.

"The Government of Canada intends to increase its capacity to work with you on these issues. How will we do this? Federal-provincial agreements are the principal mechanisms in this area. Last year, Canadian Heritage transferred $50 million to the Quebec Department of Education for English-language education. These agreements come up for renewal in 2003 and so have to be renegotiated," the Minister stated.

Mr. Dion then added that the Government’s action plan would make health services a priority, specifying that the Government of Canada is open to concluding an agreement with the Government of Quebec in this area.

Finally, the Minister said he well understands that economic development is of key importance in retaining young people in Anglophone communities. He noted that according to the latest available census data from 1996, unemployment was considerably higher among Quebec Anglophones (13.2 %) than among the province’s Francophones (11.5 %). This held true even in Montreal. Mr. Dion pointed out that Minister Rock is contemplating specific measures to address that reality, including Internet access for all communities.

Summarizing the positive impact the Government’s action plan will have on the Anglophone community, Mr. Dion reiterated : "It will in large measure address the priorities you have identified: an accountability framework that will provide a permanent mechanism for consultation with communities; the assurance that Anglophones are present everywhere in the federal workforce; targeted investments leading to concrete results in your schools and for your children; the provision of resources to improve access to health care in your language; and strategic initiatives that will support economic development for your communities."

"As one of the two national official languages minorities in Canada, you have legitimate needs and your federal government has obligations toward you. While fully respecting the jurisdiction of the Government of Quebec, the Government of Canada will meet its responsibilities. It is more than a matter of obligation, it is simply good government for Canadians. It is an indisputable fact that not only Montreal, not only Quebec, but the whole of Canada is an admirable human achievement – thanks in no small part to the long-standing and indispensable contribution you make as English-speaking Quebecers," Minister Dion concluded.

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