Bill S-205 Tainted by Partisanship

Ottawa, June 30, 2015 – For Manitoba Senator Maria Chaput, the end of this session of Parliament and the upcoming launch of the federal election this summer mean that Bill S‑205, her third attempt to modernize Part IV of the Official Languages Act, has died on the Order Paper.

Senator Chaput remarked that the study of Bill S-205 was tainted by partisanship from the start. “It was a battle every step of the way. The Conservative majority in the Senate wanted to refer Bill S-205 to the National Finance Committee for study, which is an affront to everyone who believes in Canada’s linguistic duality. It was like telling us that respect for language rights is an economic irritant,” said Senator Chaput.

Once Bill S-205 was finally referred to the right committee, the study did not necessarily go smoothly. The Committee heard from the Commissioner of Official Languages, experts, community representatives, the heads of Crown corporations and various officials, but not a single minister agreed to appear. This refusal shows a lack of respect for the Senate and our country’s linguistic duality.

In the end, the Standing Senate Committee on Official Languages did not vote on S-205. “The vote was to have been held at our last meeting on June 22,” said Senator Chaput, “but the Conservative majority on the committee decided to cancel the meeting. That let them avoid voting against a bill that had significant support from official language minority communities.”

Senator Chaput fundamentally disagrees with this approach. “As a senator, I know that the chances of getting my bill passed were slim. But to prevent public debate or do everything possible to avoid a vote, that’s something else entirely. I understand that members wanted to avoid paying the political price. But the work of a legislator demands candour, transparency and openness above all. I believe that I respected those principles.”

The issue is far from over. “This will come up again, well before the next census in 2021. We have done a lot to raise awareness and we have gained support even within the other political parties. It is just a matter of time!” said Senator Chaput.

The Standing Senate Committee on Official Languages held 10 meetings to study Bill S‑205. The final list of witnesses is available here.

Website: www.mariachaput.ca
Twitter: @SenChaput
Liberal Senate Forum: http://liberalsenateforum.ca

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To obtain an interview with Senator Chaput, please contact:
Suzanne Belliveau at 613-943-2435 or by email at [email protected]