Language watchdog slams Ottawa over workplace bilingualism

0 Comments | AFP, May, 2008

OTTAWA (AFP) — Federal institutions in Canada have their work cut out to create a truly bilingual environment where staff can choose to use French or English, the country's language commissioner said Thursday.

In his annual report on the state of Canada's two official languages, Commissioner Graham Fraser blamed a lack of political leadership, blasting the government for not yet releasing a new five-year action plan to promote bilingualism nationwide, after the old plan expired in March.

"Despite repeated promises on the part of the government to come out with a new five-year plan, we've seen no sign of it," Fraser told a press conference, pointing to the delay as "an example of tentative and uncertain leadership."

Of the 38 federal institutions evaluated in...