Justin Trudeau is all about open, inclusive government, or so he claims at every opportunity. On January 17th his commitment to inclusiveness revealed itself for what it really is, one more political affectation.
On January 17, at a town hall in Sherbrooke, Quebec, an English-speaking Canadian asked our Prime Minister a question.
Common courtesy is to answer in the language of the questioner. Canada is a bilingual nation, after all.
His feeble response for his disrespect, for defecating upon the inclusiveness he so loudly professes?
"I also, uh, uh, understand, uh, the importance of, uh, of uh, speaking French, of defending the French language, uh, in Quebec and, uh, that is something I will, uh, l continue to do while, while respecting minority language rights, uh, across the country."
His refusal to speak English is his commitment to defending bilingualism?
That can only make sense in the rarefied air of the Trudeaupian universe.
As I've said before, Justin Trudeau is first, foremost and always a Quebecer. His commitment is to Quebec and all things in it, the rest of Canada be damned.
His disrespect for Judy Ross, the woman who asked the question is irrefutable.
"I felt as though we were treated as second-class citizens, that we really don't count, that the minority in Quebec doesn't count."
Unfortunately Judy Ross is correct. English-speaking Canadians living in Quebec do not count. Not at all.
The following day Trudeau was asked this question:
“Can you please answer, on behalf of 700,000 in Quebec, why you couldn’t answer a single question in English?”
His response is insulting.
"Uh, uh, fact is, uh, when I was in Peterborough, uh, a few days ago I took a question in French, uh, and answered it in English. Uh, it is important for me to demonstrate that, uh, I, uh, defend bilingualism, and I understand that, uh, in a town hall in which we are, uh, engaged with a broad range of Canadians who come out, uh, to hear from the Prime Minister, um.
In Sherbrooke, in Quebec, uh, the town hall happened in French. I was glad to take questions in English. Uh, surprised, to be quite frank, that, uh, there were as many questions in English at, uh, at uh, the town hall, uh, but pleased that so many people from different backgrounds came out.
I will always defend official bilingualism. I, uh, believe deeply in it, uh, but I also, uh, uh, understand, uh, the importance of, uh, of uh, speaking French, of defending the French language in Quebec and, uh, and that is something, uh, I will continue to do while respecting minority language rights across the country."
Part VII of the Official Languages Act spells out the government policy on the advancement of both English and French in Canada.
Government policy
41 (1) The Government of Canada is committed to
(a) enhancing the vitality of the English and French linguistic minority communities in Canada and supporting and assisting their development; and
(b) fostering the full recognition and use of both English and French in Canadian society.
Marginal note:Duty of federal institutions
(2) Every federal institution has the duty to ensure that positive measures are taken for the implementation of the commitments under subsection (1). For greater certainty, this implementation shall be carried out while respecting the jurisdiction and powers of the provinces.
It seems our beloved Prime Minister is ignorant of this policy, not that Justin Trudeau's ignorance should come as a big surprise to anyone. This is the same man who decried the horror of separate schools for francophones before his own party schooled him on how the Canadian Constitution specifically entrenched those rights.
It is fitting that Trudeau's disrespect for minority language rights is now under investigation by Canada's Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages.
This new investigation comes on the heels of Canada's Ethics Commissioner opening an investigation into Prime Minister Trudeau's vacation to Aga Khan's private island. He took other government officials, including a Liberal MP and the Liberal Party president and their spouses with him on that so-called holiday.
Justin Trudeau's cross-country tour to "reconnect with Canadians" is a direct response to his falling approval ratings in the wake of that holiday on Aga Khan's private island resort. Our Prime Minister needed to do something, and to it fast.
A national series of town hall meetings was the answer.
Far from reconnecting with Canadians, the only thing his town hall meetings reveal is how utterly disconnected he is from the mere citizens he rules over.
Justin Trudeau – 47 Character-Revealing Quotes from Canada’s 23rd Prime Minister and What They Mean for You
An Honest Examination of Justin Trudeau's Leadership.
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