Recommendation 1: Standing committee on French-language services
Overall, the Commissioner is quite satisfied with the government’s response to his first recommendation as an officer of the Legislative Assembly.
The Commissioner recommended that a standing committee on French-language services, specifically assigned to deal with issues related to the welfare and full development of Ontario’s Francophone community, be appointed during the 2015-2016 fiscal year. In response, the government expressed a desire to initiate discussions with the other leaders concerning the possibility of establishing a standing committee. There may also be other means that would help to ensure a firm engagement by the Legislature regarding issues related to Francophone affairs.
It is still time to take action, the Commissioner points out. In an editorial entitled “La tribune de l’officier”1 [the officer’s forum] of July 12, 2014, Le Droit editorial writer Pierre Bergeron acknowledged that [TRANSLATION] “there is still work to be done to provide the Commissioner with all the tools required to ensure that the delivery of French-language services meets the expectations and needs of the Franco-Ontarian community.” With regard to the Commissioner’s recommendation, he adds:
[TRANSLATION] “The initiative would be appealing to the extent that it becomes a real forum, if it can lead to real change and keep the pressure on the Office of Francophone Affairs, under the responsibility of Minister Madeleine Meilleur, to produce results.”
The recommendation was not aimed directly at the government. Clearly, though, as the party with the majority of representatives in the Legislative Assembly, the governing party could have a major influence on any decision made by MPPs.
It would also be desirable to consider establishing a parliamentary committee of all officers of the Assembly. As mentioned in the previous annual report, these officers really have no forum in which to discuss their recommendations with MPPs. Initiating a discussion in the public forum is fine, but it would be even better if MPPs could dialogue with their officers directly by bringing in government officials concerned with the officers’ recommendations. After all, no officer is completely independent; all of them are accountable to the Legislative Assembly.
1. Pierre Bergeron, “ La tribune de l’officier ”, Le Droit, July 12, 2014.