File shot of the Senate Chamber in Ottawa. On Wednesday, a Senate report said the federal government is not doing enough to protect the rights of Quebec’s English-speaking minority.
_ Photograph by: Chris Wattie, Reuters

By Mike De Souza - OTTAWA — The federal government is not adequately meeting its responsibilities to protect the rights of Quebec's English-speaking minority, concludes a new Senate committee report released on Wednesday.

The study, which followed hearings by senators, concluded with 16 recommendations for keeping a close eye on the community and ensuring that it is respected in all of its day-to-day challenges and needs.

"Despite all the goodwill there may be on the ground, there are major disparities when it comes to access to schools, cultural products, heritage, training or jobs in English," said the report of the committee, which was led by chairwoman and Liberal Senator Maria Chaput and deputy chairwoman and Conservative Senator Andree Champagne.

"For the English-speaking communities, fluency in French is an essential asset, to ensure that young people can succeed in their own communities. A relationship with the French-speaking majority based on partnership, dialogue and mutual understanding is also essential to the vitality of the English-speaking communities."

Among its recommendations, the report suggests that federal institutions must report on progress in implementing the Official Languages Act and its efforts to protect the rights of minority English-speaking communities. It also said that the government has a responsibility to ensure that English-speaking communities across the province get their fair share of funding from federal programs. In some cases, it recommends that the federal institutions transfer money "directly to Quebec's anglophone organizations, wherever possible."

"In reality, (the English-speaking community) is caught in a dynamic where it must constantly stand up for its rights, and yet is not necessarily able to promote them," said the report. "The problem could stem from a number of sources: a lack of commitment to the English-speaking communities on the part of federal institutions in Quebec, a lack of consultation, the absence of communications about existing federal programs, a poor fit between the policies of the province and the federal government, or a lack of transparency in the use of funds transferred from one level of government to the other."

The report recognized that the federal government must respect Quebec's authority to legislate in its own area of jurisdiction under the Constitution, but said this should not stop federal institutions from promoting or protecting anglophone rights. It said that the English-speaking minority would not be able to achieve its full potential unless both levels of government work toward the same goal.

"It is important to understand that a 'win' for the rights of the anglophone minority does not necessarily threaten the aspirations of the francophone majority," said the report. "The goals of the two communities do not have to be mutually exclusive and can be achieved in an atmosphere of respect for the rights of both. We must take what has long been seen as a win-lose situation and change it into a win-win scenario for two segments of a single population."

The senators were scheduled to explain their recommendations at a news conference on Thursday.

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