May 11th, 2022 - Question Period with Minister of Canadian Heritage
Good afternoon minister, and thank you for being with us.
On April 14, 2022, the Court of Queen’s Bench of New Brunswick ruled that the Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick must be bilingual and be able to perform all of the duties of that role in both French and English.
The last time French-speaking minorities won a case, which was last January with regard to Part VII of the Official Languages Act, your government was going to appeal.
Could you tell us today whether the federal government intends to appeal the April 14 ruling?
Thank you very much, senator. It’s always a pleasure to see senators from New Brunswick. Thank you for your work.
Once again, Justice DeWare’s ruling is currently being analyzed by the Minister of Justice. It is being reviewed.
As I mentioned, the Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick, Ms. Murphy, is a woman who has served her community and province for many years. She made a clear commitment to becoming proficient in French.
As for the appeal court ruling, the Minister of Justice is reviewing the decision and we hope to give you an update about the next steps as soon as possible.