Ottawa, March 12, 2003
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Right ingredients to renew Canada's linguistic duality
The Commissioner of Official Languages, Dr. Dyane Adam, welcomes the action plan for official languages presented today by the government after close to two years of hard work. The Commissioner does, however, stress that there is still work to be done. "Although we now have all the necessary ingredients to renew the official languages program, we can only truly measure this plan's effectiveness and impact once we see concrete results," said Dr. Adam.
The Commissioner congratulates the Prime Minister, ministers Dion, Robillard and Copps, and their Cabinet colleagues for their commitment and leadership in developing the action plan. "This is an excellent example of co-operation and teamwork."
Dr. Adam has been asking for an overall plan to renew the official languages program since tabling her first annual report in October 2000. "At the beginning of my mandate I noted a lack of firm and real commitment and leadership from our elected officials and the federal public service. The official languages program was adrift and off course. In order to put official languages back on track and re-establish it as a key priority, I assigned the government the following tasks:
- develop, in co-operation with the minority official language communities, an overall plan with specific objectives to implement the principles of the Official Languages Act;
- strengthen the obligation of federal institutions to account for their actions or inaction;
- establish mechanisms at the highest level to co-ordinate government action on official languages; and
- reaffirm its leadership and commitment to Canada's linguistic duality."
Dr. Adam is pleased that everything is now in place and that the government has the right ingredients to strengthen linguistic duality in Canadian society and to enhance support for the development of minority official language communities.
"The next step-the one that is both the most important and the most demanding - is to implement this plan. Canadians want to see concrete, measurable and lasting results. In order to accomplish this, the government must intensify its efforts, and I will be there to act as a catalyst and ensure that the federal leadership stays on course," concluded the Commissioner.
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