(Ottawa) More than $2 billion in federal funds were used to fund English language support programs in Quebec between 1995 and 2022, according to a compilation by the Bloc Québécois. MP Mario Beaulieu argues that such sums should instead be used to support a declining France.
“This shows that Quebec should be responsible for its language policy,” he said at a news conference Monday.
The elected official of the Pointe-de-l’Île constituency examined public finances to obtain details of the subsidies granted within the constituency Official Languages Act and then put the totals together. It concludes that just over 2 billion have been allocated through four programs, namely that for the development of English-speaking communities, the development of official languages, the support fund for access to justice in both official languages and the contribution to official languages in health.
“These funds should be used for French as a working language, to make French the common language, and not to support English in Quebec,” he said.
The unveiling of the latest action plan on official languages last spring sparked controversy in Quebec. An official confirmed that about 20% of the $1.4 billion would be earmarked for the Anglo-Quebec community over five years, as in the past. Of this, 138 million euros will finance various projects in English-speaking countries.
The French language minister responsible for Canadian relations and Canadian Francophonie, Jean-François Roberge, had demanded that these 138 million be used for Frenchization instead.
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