Even though he says he takes classes every day, Air Canada boss Michael Rousseau had great difficulty speaking French during his testimony before the Standing Committee on Official Languages where he apologized for his remarks made last fall at the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal.
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“I’m sorry, I apologize once more here and I take responsibility for my words. I regret the impact this has had on our employees. I am determined to do better,” he said, in hesitant French.
Last November, Mr. Rousseau created a huge outcry following he paid little heed to the importance of French at Air Canada on the sidelines of a conference in front of business people.
Unsuccessful course
During this speech, Mr. Rousseau had included a few sentences delivered laboriously in the official language of Quebec. A few months later, during his testimony before the committee, we have to admit that the situation has not really improved.
“I would have liked to pronounce a greater part in both official languages, but my ability to speak French is not yet up to scratch,” he admitted.
However, the leader claims to take intensive French lessons on a daily basis.
“I have lessons every day with two different tutors. They give me homework to complete every night,” he said.
Answers only in English
But the deputies showed themselves to be very unimpressed by the apprenticeship of the leader.
“Not only was his presentation not half in French and English, which is the minimum, but none of his answers were in French,” said NDP MP Nikki Ashton.
“If following six months of intensive French learning, Mr. Rousseau cannot answer questions in French, it is not very reassuring,” also regretted Bloc Québécois MP Mario Beaulieu.
The latter would like Bill 101 to apply to the carrier, which is instead subject to the Official Languages Act, which has just been reviewed by Ottawa.
Half of bilingual employees
The leader, however, said he was “sincere” in his commitment to advancing French within Air Canada, in particular by creating an official languages department, proposals that left parliamentarians on their appetite.
“The chief who is the pilot on board does not seem to be concerned. If you – and on the board of directors – do not use French, how can you go down to the other levels of your chain of employees? wondered Conservative MP Joël Godin.
According to checks made by the Journal, the Commissioner of Official Languages has received more than 2,500 complaints since last November. An investigation is still ongoing.
Parliamentary committee: the language course lottery and other milestones
◆ Jacques Gourde, CPC MP: There is no language training at Air Canada. I’m flabbergasted, I’m really flabbergasted! […] The 130,000 hours [de formation], it can be divided either by 10, or by 20, divided by seven years. That’s not a lot of hours per year. In any case, it’s a lottery to receive language lessons by Air Canada. There are practically none. It’s enough for me !
Michael Rousseau: No response
◆ Mario Beaulieu, Bloc Québécois MNA: Half of the francophones in Quebec do not speak English. Would you hire a unilingual French speaker at Air Canada?
Mr. Rousseau: Yes, we would hire a francophone, we hire according to ability and we want to hire as many bilingual employees as possible.
◆ Joël Godin, CPC MP: That’s your goal [d’améliorer le français], that was the goal of your predecessors too, but it doesn’t work, the results aren’t there, can you reinvent yourself, do a shoulder-to-shoulder? What we want is to protect French.
Mr. Rousseau: Yes, I agree with that question, we have the same objective, we will find other measures to improve our performance. We have internal committees that take care of that.
◆ Arielle Kayabaga, MP for the PLC: What lessons did you draw from this experience? What would you do better next time?
Mr. Rousseau: I learned that you have to participate fully in Quebec society, and to do that, you have to speak French and I should have learned it earlier, that’s a mistake on my part.