On Monday, the New Brunswickers will finally know what the official language law review will have resulted in. Premier Blaine Higgs, who promised an official language law in the fall, waited until the last minute to deliver the goods.
What can we expect from this revised official language law? Few things really. For months, if not years, the prime minister has been urging people – often in unsubtle ways – to lower their expectations.
The strategy became particularly visible this autumn. For weeks, the government gave the impression that it was ready to undo hard-won French-speaking gains.
Here are a few examples:
In this climate of distrust, the most influential Acadian minister in this government, Daniel Allain felt the need to write his boss a letter to define – clearly – its limits in linguistic matters.
The gesture is unprecedented: communication between a minister and his leader is rarely so formal. It is clear that with this gesture Minister Allain also wanted (and primarily?) to reassure the French-speaking population about the values that drive them.
It is therefore Monday that we know which imprint Blaine Higgs rely on the official language law. Many people are holding their breath to see what the new version of the law will look like.
Somehow the prime minister managed to keep expectations low. Anything but a setback can be celebrated as a victory. This is probably the place Blaine Higgs will be the best in his game.
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