Court rules judge can hear case that alleges appointment of Mary Simon violates constitutional rules for bilingualism
These organizations need to calm down over this one. You’re really going to try to get rid of the first Indigenous governor general because she doesn’t sufficiently represent a settler culture?
Without having taken a side in this despite being a quebecer, I want to point out that the original debate was about the uselessness of having monarchy figures in our government. Sadly, it seems that proponents of keeping the monarch have shifted the debate’s spotlight on the fact that the lady in from the first nations.
I am a republican (in the anti-monarchist sense, not the American sense) so if we want to end that institution and get rid of the office of governor general entirely I’m on board with that. But that’s not what’s happening here. Should the organizations be successful in their case, the office of governor general will continue. It will simply force the first Indigenous holder of it out because she doesn’t speak a settler language.
I can’t begin to describe how bad that will look from a country that is supposedly pursuing reconciliation with it’s colonial history.
I’m not gonna weigh in on whether they’re right or wrong for it, but Quebec has almost a quarter of the country’s population. It makes sense to want to be represented properly. I also think it’s important to have the indigenous population represented though. I don’t think it’s all black and white.
I can see why they’re doing it, but I don’t know if they’re right to do it.
How does having someone born and raised in Québec not count as Québec representation? Is she not colonialist enough for us?
Maybe address the root cause and ensure la Commission scolaire Kativik is resourced to teach Inuktituk, English, and French.
Edit: spelling est difficile.
Yup. Historically Quebec was treated as a second-tier province because of the religious sectarianism that migrated with the British/French colonizers. Most of Canada’s PM’s were Protestant and most of Quebecoise were RC.
After the religious aspect began fading into the background Quebecoise still felt disenfranchised (which, in reality, they were) so the focus became language/culture vs religious affiliation. Then the October crisis happened.
To be a pedantic, they’re a fifth of the population (approx. 21%), down from 27% in 1971 and about 35% at the time of confederation.
Your point still stands though. The convention for GGs has been to alternate between English and French, though typically bilingual in both to a greater or lesser extent.
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Yeah, this is so tone deaf. Par for the course with the language police though.
The people launching the suits are hardcore Quebecoise rights activists:
The lawsuit was launched by two Quebecers’ rights associations, including Justice pour le Québec, which was led by Frédéric Bastien until his death earlier this year.
…
In 2020, [Bastien] filed a complaint after the Canadian Human Rights Commission failed to provide a French version of a federal challenge to Quebec’s secularism law.
Two years later, Bastien filed a human rights complaint for racism after being denied a job opportunity as a white man. The role was only open to women, Indigenous people, people with disabilities and people of colour.
There are undoubtedly Indigenous candidates who would meet the constitutional requirements. It’s worth asking why the government didn’t bother to select one of them.
It’s just, you know. Quebec is the product of colonialism as well. Perhaps they should let this one slide. Let Mary Simon give all her public addresses in Inuktitut if that will make it seem more fair.
I agree completely.
From what I understand, they have a different point of view: Quebec won concessions by surrendering to the British, and they see those concessions being eroded.
When it comes to a ceremonial position that is otherwise ignored, it would look way better to concede and take the L. But I think they’re afraid this is a slippery slope.
“settler culture”? I think Oregon Trail was a ways back.
So are some Quebecois language police types.
It’s a waste of time on their part. Selection of the GG is a federal power exclusively, and made by the monarch based on the advise of the PM.
Language doesn’t enter into it, beyond the convention of alternating between anglophone and French GGs.Edit: I remember the hoopla when her appointment was made and a number of complaints made to the Commissioner of Official Languages, who investigated the complaints at the time.
Here’s the preliminary response:
https://www.clo-ocol.gc.ca/en/newsroom/2021-11-26/statement-commissioner-official-languages-canada-preliminary-investigation?wbdisable=trueOne of the important bits:
Furthermore, the Prime Minister, who is not a federal institution subject to the Act, has full authority to appoint any person to the position of Governor General and is not bound by any recommendations issued by the Privy Council Office. For all of these reasons, the conclusions in my preliminary investigation report on the process that led to the 2021 appointment of the Governor General are that the complaints are unfounded.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
A group of Quebecers have cleared a major hurdle in their efforts to have Canada’s governor general removed because she does not speak French.
In her June decision, Quebec superior court judge Catherine Piché wrote that the crown is not a federal office, but rather represents the sovereign’s presence in Canada.
The lawsuit was launched by two Quebecers’ rights associations, including Justice pour le Québec, which was led by Frédéric Bastien until his death earlier this year.
That association has previously defended Quebec’s ban on religious symbols, and has called for the closure of the Roxham Road border crossing used primarily by asylum seekers.
In 2020, he filed a complaint after the Canadian Human Rights Commission failed to provide a French version of a federal challenge to Quebec’s secularism law.
The lawyer representing the groups in the governor general case told La Presse on Wednesday that the lawsuit was not an attack on Simon, but rather a “question of principle” and respect for Canada’s constitution, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
I’m a bot and I’m open source!
How about we get rid of that position once and for all and get rid of the monarchy altogether to finally become a truly independent country, and stop wasting millions on this?
I was really afraid this thread would turn into a typical /r/Canada type Québec bashing thread.
I’m so happy to see some nuanced opinions on the subject instead where people don’t see it as all black and white.
I have good hope for the Lemmy community.
[…] Bastien filed a human rights complaint for racism after being denied a job opportunity as a white man. The role was only open to women, Indigenous people, people with disabilities and people of colour.
Hard to have a nuanced opinion with things like this. I agree that the position shouldn’t exist and we should be free of the monarchy, but it seems the priorities are extremely wrong and they are just using the bilingual law for their agenda.
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So what about the deaf community? Doesn’t sign language need to be also considered at an national level? Oh right there is someone that helps just like a bilingual translator.
Again making a fuss about something common sense has overruled.
Same issue with bringing in medication from out of country without bilingual instructions. We all have devices and access to something to translate. I’d happily have all French medication if it meant relief of symptoms.
English sign language or French sign language?
🤌👌👍
For English, are you talking about ASL, or BSL? For French, I assume you’d be talking about LSQ and not LSF?
I think it’s important that medication has both English and French instructions.
If we imported meds from France instead of the USA and didn’t translate the instructions, I can bet you tried the English community in Canada would understandably not be happy about it.
If this is your thoughts I would start making a stink about Google translate not being aware and or able to translate French for Quebec vs France/World.
There are enough tools nowadays that a person can get through most of the hurdles of over the counter/publicly available products and services not in their native language. The other thing is those products and services usually come with technical writers in that industry writing the instructions so it’s more plausible that a translation is more likely word for word.
