Chris Austin remains on board
New Brunswick’s premier doesn’t want Chris Austin out of the official languages law review panel. He confirmed this after meeting Justin Trudeau.
Blaine Hicks reiterated that he wanted to have different voices around the table and noted that Chris Austin supports legislation on official languages and provincial bilingualism.
Blaine Hicks also said he was surprised the Canadian prime minister would be implicated in the file.
All the problems in the country, like diesel price, inflation, the appointment of a cabinet member in a committee is surprising. Temporary It is a matter of national interest
Blaine Hicks said, accusing Justin Trudeau of wanting to divert attention from more pressing issues.
” It makes no sense to elect someone from a group to protect the official languages and protect the French language, who has demonstrated throughout his life that he is not interested in protecting the official languages and protecting the French language. »
While in New Brunswick, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said it was important To do better you need to have different perspectives [la révision de la loi]But we need to make sure that everyone in this group really wants to protect official languages and bilingualism
.
Until last March, Progressive Conservative minister Chris Austin led the People’s Alliance. Hostile stance towards official bilingualism. He joined the Progressive Conservative Caucus and was placed on a committee with the Prime Minister and eight MPs to participate in the legislative review process.
Federal lawmakers have called for Austin’s resignation
New Brunswick’s six federal Liberal MPs on Tuesday condemned the appointment of Minister Chris Austin to a government committee to review the Official Languages Act.
Their caucus leader, MP Zenica Atwin, wrote to Premier Blaine Hicks to remove Chris Austin from the committee.
Federal Liberal MP Jenica Atwin (Archives)
Photo: Radio-Canada / Michael Corriveau
According to these MPs, the positions Chris Austin held while chair of the New Brunswick People’s Alliance should have disqualified him from the start.
For New Brunswick’s bilingual status, Mr. Austin’s resistance has been proven time and time again. Mr. Austin declared, among other things, that the Commissioner of Official Languages was “extremist” and that his work did not bring much, proposing to abolish his post.
Jenica Adwin says in the letter.
Among the signatories to the letter were MP, Chair of the Standing Committee on Official Languages in Ottawa. René Arsenault – said in an interview that this appointment reflects Incredibly disrespectful
.
” It’s pathetic. Mr. Austin has spent his career opposing bilingualism and curtailing the rights of Francophones, and Mr. Hicks presents this nomination to us. It’s a middle finger to Acadians, francophones, and bilinguals. »
The The revelation of Chris Austin’s appointment to the group had a bombshell effect Last week in New Brunswick.
The Société de l’Acadie du Nouveau-Brunswick said the decision had broken faith in the Blaine Hicks government. Absolutely disgusting
.
Members of the official opposition in Fredericton called the appointment an insult to Acadians. This is especially true of New Brunswick’s Liberal Party leader Susan Holt A finger of honor for French-speaking communities
.
A group of ministers and Progressive Conservative MPs created by Premier Blaine Hicks will be responsible for responding to a report by commissioners Yvette Finn and John McLaughlin on the review of the Official Languages Act.
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