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[ENTREVUE EXPRESS]
WHO
Bob Rae, former Prime Minister of Ontario, is Canada’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations.
THE CONTEXT
On the sidelines of this Thursday’s Canadian Club of Toronto conference on Politics in Times of Crisis, Mr. Rae granted a privileged interview ONFR+ to openly express his views on some of the issues in Ontario for 2023, including the issue of bilingualism, political leadership and environmental issues.
THE CHALLENGE
In a turbulent global economic, climate and diplomatic environment, Canada and Ontario continue to face a “cascade of challenges” in 2024.
“You speak perfect French. In your opinion, how important is bilingualism in Ontario?
When I got into politics over 40 years ago (I can’t count the years anymore), it was in 1978 during the great constitutional debate at the federal level. I was both a federal and a state MP. We signed an agreement with the then provincial government in 1985 and created the Official Languages Act (LRC) at the time, which gives rights to the Francophonie, but above all specific obligations for the government. This led to the creation of many institutions.
I was then responsible for setting up the three colleges, even before the University of French Ontario was formed a little later. What I’m trying to describe is the progress from a historical perspective that continues to move in the right direction, particularly in the north of the province and around Ottawa and the big cities.
How do you see the future of Francophonie in Ontario?
This progress continues to this day. But what I think is essential in the field of bilingualism is to make the Francophones feel at home in the provinces. We can of course mention education, but also the health sector with health services that reflect the bilingual reality of Canada and the bilingual nature of Ontario. I have personally witnessed significant changes during my career and I am convinced that this will continue, but with a conscious effort on the part of politicians.
So is the state responsible for efforts to promote bilingualism?
It is very important that the government invests consciously and makes great efforts, especially with regard to the civil service that has a role to play. Unfortunately, we still see a lack of necessary services and resources in French, for example in the field of health and education. It’s a constant challenge.
But it’s a long-standing struggle in the province and in Canadian history. Let’s not forget that in the past, French wasn’t even accepted as an official language. Luckily that has changed. It should also be noted that the francophone community is changing with immigration and the development of communities from Africa and Europe. The community is changing and expanding.
What are the major political issues of 2023?
The world at large is currently facing a cascade of problems and challenges. This is one of the themes of today’s conference: the issue of climate change is becoming a more serious problem every year. You can even see it on site. I always say that the problems of the world are Canada’s problems. We saw that, for example, with the pandemic and its effects on all levels. The issues of the current international conflict are also never far removed from Canadian reality. Inflation is a direct result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine leading to a possible recession. Global conflicts affect us indirectly. I hope that this year will be the year of peace.
How should these challenges be received in politics in Ontario in 2024?
Ontario politics needs good leaders who can make a difference. It implies a sense of strong leadership and also of good faith and transparency. I sincerely think that in political life, as in life in general, we could benefit from a little more goodwill and altruism. We have to acknowledge one thing: we are very fortunate in Ontario. We have natural resources, important industries, institutions and a strong educational center. We are multicultural, multilingual, multiracial. It’s a strength.
We are a microcosm of the world in a province. For this reason, regardless of the political side, we must take all these realities into account when implementing our policies. Regarding the environment, the climate change debate in Canada is unavoidable. We must seek to drive action that focuses on sustainability in everything we do, seek practical solutions, not just idealistic ones, and inspire change through concrete and achievable goals at the federal, state and local levels.
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