For the first time since his controversial speech before the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal, the boss of Air Canada will speak during his testimony on Monday before the Standing Committee on Official Languages in Ottawa.
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Michael Rousseau will have to answer questions from federal deputies who will try to find out more regarding the place of French within the carrier.
Over the years, Air Canada has been the subject of many complaints regarding the preponderance of English, even though the company is subject to the Official Languages Act.
An outcry last fall
Last November, Mr. Rousseau created a huge outcry following a speech delivered only in English. On the sidelines of his conference, he paid little attention to the importance of French at Air Canada.
“If the question concerns my French, I will answer you that I would like to be able to speak it, but that my priority at the moment is to get Air Canada back on its feet. If you look at my schedule, you will understand,” he replied when questioned by the Journal.
He had also indicated that he had been able to live 14 years in the metropolis without having to speak French, “which is to the credit of Montreal”.
The remarks had caused a linguistic storm; they had been denounced in all directions by the political class, in particular by François Legault and Justin Trudeau.
A few days following the controversy, the boss finally apologized, promising to learn French.
The Commissioner of Official Languages had also registered more than 2,000 complaints following Mr. Rousseau’s speech.
Awareness
The event had raised awareness among large companies in Quebec. Another leader, Ian Edwards, who leads the destiny of SNC-Lavalin, had postponed a speech because of his lack of knowledge of French. He too had promised that he was going to learn the language of Molière.
Other English-speaking leaders, notably the boss of the Laurentian Bank, Rania Llewellyn, had started lessons in French.
Mr. Rousseau’s hearing will take place virtually this followingnoon, in both official languages. It remains to be seen whether Mr. Rousseau will be able to speak French.
Last fall, Air Canada Chairman Vagn Soerensen promised that Rousseau’s command of French was a priority.
“This is not just a personal commitment on his part, but an element that will be an integral part of his performance evaluation,” he wrote.
A law that lacks teeth
Bloc MP Mario Beaulieu, vice-chair of the committee, said he was looking forward to seeing Mr Rousseau’s progress in French.
But, for him, the major problem remains the federal law, which lacks teeth towards companies, like Air Canada.
“At the Bloc Québécois, we consider that if Air Canada accumulates complaints for its lack of respect for French, it is because of the Official Languages Act, which is a fiasco. It is proposed that businesses under federal jurisdiction be subject to Bill 101,” he said in an interview with The newspaper.
