Commissioner congratulates government for regulation mandating French-language services by third parties

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COMMISSIONER CONGRATULATES GOVERNMENT FOR REGULATION
MANDATING FRENCH-LANGUAGE SERVICES BY THIRD PARTIES

TORONTO, June 27, 2011 – Ontario’s French Language Services Commissioner is extremely happy with the adoption of a new regulation regarding the services provided by third parties on behalf of government ministries and agencies. This regulation, which had twice been recommended by the Commissioner, protects the delivery of services in French and is a call to order for all of government and its structures.

The new Ontario Regulation 284/11 Provision of French Language Services On Behalf Of Government Agencies also includes measures that make the active offer of Frenchlanguage services a fundamental principle that must be respected by third parties from now on.

QUOTE

“With this important gesture, the government has laid another building block in the edifice of linguistic rights for Francophones in Ontario,” said Commissioner François Boileau.
“Furthermore, with this regulatory framework, the government is providing a concrete endorsement of the concept of the active offer of French-language services.”

QUICK FACTS

  • The new regulation will come into force on July 1, 2011.
  • It aims to close the loopholes reported by the Commissioner in a fair number of government contracts with various third-party suppliers and partners.
  • Third parties and ministries must conform to this regulation for all new government contracts, but they will have up to three years to comply for existing agreements.
  • The regulation requires each ministry to complete a review of current services and make necessary changes.
  • It also requires ministries to report to the Office of Francophone Affairs regarding the implementation of the new regulation.
  • This change arrives at a time when the government is embarking on a review of the way it delivers public services — a review that will include looking at private-public partnerships and third-party services delivery.

LEARN MORE
Download our latest annual report at www.flsc.gov.on.ca, under the PUBLICATIONS section.
Read the government’s news release regarding the new regulation.

 

Gyula Kovacs, Public Relations and Communications Officer
Office of the French Language Services Commissioner
Phone: (416) 314-8247 or 1-866-246-5262 (toll free)
Email: communications.FLSCcsf@ontario.ca