Conclusion
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In this audit, we reviewed the extent to which the CRTC has implemented provisions of Part VII of the Official Languages Act within the limits of its mandate. We also evaluated what measures the CRTC has taken to meet its commitments under both components of section 41 of the Act. We checked whether the institution had consulted official language minority communities in a structured and coordinated way, and lastly whether the CRTC had established a monitoring mechanism to ensure it was complying with the Act.
We found that, despite CRTC efforts, the organization is still not meeting its obligations adequately with respect to the cultural, social and economic development of official language minority communities, or in terms of its obligations to promote the full recognition and use of both English and French in Canada. Although we could not evaluate the CRTC’s performance in light of modifications made to Part VII of the Act during the audit, we have taken into account this aspect in our recommendations.
The CRTC must take concrete positive measures to meet the specific needs of the various official language minority communities, including Anglophone communities in Quebec, and it must take action based on the observations and measures suggested by national and regional representatives of these communities through structured and coordinated consultations. The Commission also needs to carefully review how it fulfills its responsibilities in this regard. The CRTC should also consult majority groups who are interested in the promotion of Canada’s linguistic duality.
The CRTC must develop a policy and guidelines on official languages specific to its activities and communicate them appropriately to all staff, including its commitment to the vitality and development of official language minority communities and its commitment to promote the full recognition and use of both English and French in Canadian society. It also needs to inform all employees through information or training sessions and quickly adopt a new action plan for implementation of section 41 of the Official Languages Act, taking into account the amendments introduced by Bill S-3; it should closely monitor the results of these actions. The CRTC needs to identify any of its broadcasting and telecommunications policies that may affect official language minority communities and commit to taking section 41 into account when it reviews these policies. The CRTC must move quickly to introduce mechanisms for regularly monitoring its performance to ensure it complies with its obligations under section 41. Official language responsibilities, including those under Part VII of the Act, should be added to managers’ performance appraisals. In the wake of the amendments to Part VII of the Act, section 41 cannot be implemented properly unless there is a clear commitment from senior CRTC executives, who must set the tone.
