OTTAWA, ON, June 17, 2024 /CNW/ - The Honourable Anita Anand, President of the Treasury Board, made the following statement today:
"On June 20, 2023, Bill C-13, an Act to amend the Official Languages Act (OLA) received royal assent. The modernization of the OLA is a historic milestone and a major step in strengthening the bilingual identity of our country.
The modernized Act expands the role of the Treasury Board and its President. As such, it is my responsibility to provide leadership across the Government of Canada to coordinate the implementation of the new legislation. The Act also strengthens and broadens the role of my department, giving it greater authority to support, monitor, and evaluate compliance of federal institutions. To this end, below is an overview of progress made thus far in accordance with the Act.
To support federal institutions, I have established a new Official Languages Accountability and Reporting Framework. The Framework clearly sets out the roles and responsibilities of federal institutions in implementing the modernized act. It also clarifies expectations in reporting on results to ensure accountability to Canadians.
A key aspect of the Act is to ensure that Canadians can communicate with and receive services from federal institutions in the language of their choice. To support this, we are launching a new version of the online Burolis tool, which allows everyone to easily determine at which federal offices they can receive services in English, French or in both official languages.
Additionally, to further specify how federal institutions must fulfill their obligations to advance the equality of status and use of English and French in Canada under Part VII of the act, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS), in consultation with Canadian Heritage, is developing new regulations. We are conducting consultations with key stakeholders now and expect to be tabling draft regulations in Parliament early next year.
Bilingualism among our public servants is key to understanding, engaging with and serving Canadians. That is why TBS is launching the first-ever second official language training framework. The framework and accompanying guidelines have been tailored to the needs of a diverse and inclusive public service so that our bilingual capacity remains strong now and into the future.
Finally, today I tabled the Annual Report on Official Languages 2022–23. It provides an update to parliamentarians and to Canadians on the government's official languages performance.
Official languages are one of the pillars of Canada's identity and a core part of our communities. The modernization of the OLA supports the government's commitment to protecting and promoting our official languages."
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SOURCE Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
Contacts (media): Myah Tomasi, Press Secretary, Office of the President of the Treasury Board of Canada, [email protected], 343-543-7210; Media Relations, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, Telephone: 613-369-9400, Toll-free: 1-855-TBS-9-SCT (1-855-827-9728), Email: [email protected]
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