Backgrounder:
Proposed Establishment of the Office of the French Language Services Commissioner
On November 20, 2006, at the ceremony marking the 20th anniversary of the French Language Services Act, Premier Dalton McGuinty announced the government’s intention to introduce legislative amendments to create the Office of the French language services commissioner.
On March 22, as part of the 2007 Ontario Budget Bill, the government introduced amendments to the French Language Services Act that would create the Office of the French language services commissioner.
The main functions of the commissioner would include:
- Investigating whether the Act is being complied with, at his or her own initiative or in response to complaints;
- Reporting on the results of the investigations;
- Monitoring government agencies’ progress in providing French-language services; and
- Advising the Minister Responsible for Francophone Affairs on the administration of the French Language Services Act.
The commissioner would report to the Minister Responsible for Francophone Affairs, and would produce an annual report to be submitted to the minister for tabling in the Legislative Assembly.
If passed, the amendments to the French Language Services Act would also give the Minister Responsible for Francophone Affairs the power to make a range of regulations about how the Act is administered.
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For more information:
Charles Jean Sucscan
Senior Manager, Strategic Communications
Office of Francophone Affairs
416 476-5223
News Release: McGuinty Government Keeps Commitment To Francophone Community
