New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs has announced he’s delaying the province’s response to recommendations on improvements to the Official Languages Act until the fall.
The report, prepared and submitted by judge Yvette Finn and John MacLaughlin, made several key recommendations including the creation of a Department of Official Languages and a standing committee within the legislative assembly.
That was six months ago.
In a self-imposed deadline, Higgs promised there would be a response by the end of June.
“At this point, I haven’t been able to have that level of conversation, in the depth, in what does this mean all over the province, what (are) the implications and can we actually deliver on something that is being committed to,” he said speaking to reporters on Thursday. “I, unfortunately, haven’t been able to land at that stage at this point.”
He said more time is needed to figure out how certain recommendations may impact different departments. In a press release, he said municipal reform also complicates his ability to respond to the recommendations.
On Thursday, Higgs didn’t directly say when in the fall a response could be expected.
“It’s an extensive report,” he said. “If we roll this out properly, people will know it makes sense. We are recognizing the rights and obligations and we’re doing it in a way that really promotes our province’s two cultures.”
Higgs said the delay is about getting “it right.”
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“We need more time to consider the best structure to provide services within all parts of government. At the end of the day, we want to provide the best services possible in the most effective way.”
However, an organization representing Francophones in the province says this decision shows a lack of leadership by the premier.
The president of Société de l’Acadie du Nouveau-Brunswick Alexandre Cedric Doucet said the government has fallen short on it’s own self-imposed deadline.
The report was originally filed on December 15, 2021.
“We are six months from that and I think the government have a lot of time to put some concrete action so today is just, it just sends a negative message to the Acadian community,” he said.
Doucet isn’t the only one expressing disappointment in today’s announcement.
The commissioner for Official Languages released a statement on Friday.
“I am disappointed that the government is still unable to tell us what its intentions are with regard to the review of the Official Languages Act, more than six months after the conclusion of Commissioners Finn and McLaughlin’s consultation work,” she said in an email statement.
Shirley MacLean has been critical of the government’s silence on the reports recommendations.
“What is the point of a review process when the government does not provide a response to ensure that the recommendations resulting from the consultations are implemented in a timely manner? Our province’s Official Languages Act and two linguistic communities deserve better.”
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