New Brunswick: Group says government's decision on language use in the public sector doesn't go far enough

[Harold Schiffman]

A12By Yvon Gauvin
Times & Transcript staff

PETIT-ROCHER - While the provincial government's decision on language
use in the public sector  is a step in the right direction, it doesn't
go far enough, says the president of La Société de l'Acadie du
Nouveau-Brunswick. Jean-Marie Nadeau said a clause should have been
added to the Public Service Workplace Policy allowing public service
employees to work in the language of their choice following a review
of the Official Languages Act. "The right to work in the language of
your choice is stated in policies but not in the Act," said Nadeau.
"Everyone knows that legislation carries more weight than policies."

Nadeau said the province should have reintroduced a linguistic profile
for all departments after it was discarded by the former McKenna
government in the early 1990s. "Linguistic profiles provide a true
picture of how many provincial employees can offer services both in
French and in English in specific departments," he said. "They
demonstrate if the province is respecting the equal status of our two
official language communities. "Legislation, principles and policies
are very fine things indeed but, in order for them to be effective,
employees in all departments must put them into practice." A culture
change within government and its departments is essential, he said.

A 180-degree change is needed, starting with public servants in the
higher echelons, Nadeau said. "It's all very well that a public
servant can now get a workplace evaluation in the language of his or
her choice but will that really have a permanent impact on his or her
daily work environment," he said. And, while there has been change for
the better, it's at a glacial pace, Nadeau added.

http://timestranscript.canadaeast.com/news/article/625455
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