President of the Treasury Board Appearance at the House of Commons Standing Committee on Official Languages (LANG) – The Use of French in Government Communications and in Federal Institutions – December 2025

Issue

What is included in the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat’s (TBS’s) Annual Report on Official Languages 2023-24?

Response

I look forward to tabling the annual report for the fiscal year 2023–24, which provides progress updates on the results of federal institutions that continue to deliver good results in official languages, particularly in bilingual written communications, human resources management, digital platforms and emergency response.

We are implementing a new accountability framework, which will strengthen accountability and good governance regarding the promotion and use of both English and French.

We are also developing regulations under Part VII of the Official Languages Act, which will clarify expectations and strengthen institutional compliance.

My department is also ramping up support for federal institutions, developing tools, guidance and awareness initiatives to help them fully meet their obligations and advance the equal status and use of English and French across the public service.

For example, new guidance on conducting consultations with stakeholders and for undertaking impact analyses will be issued to federal institutions this fall.

Questions and answers

Question: Do the results of the annual report show any progress on institutions meeting their official languages obligations?

The annual report shows strong progress overall.

For example, institutions have greatly improved their readiness for bilingual communications in emergency situations.

Communications in the digital environment such as web activities and social media are nearly always bilingual.

And nearly all institutions have measures in place to ensure Anglophones and Francophones in their organizations have equal employment and advancement opportunities.

Question: What is the government doing to help improve results where shortcomings have been identified and help institutions struggling to apply the principle of substantive equality?

While the government has come a long way in advancing bilingualism, some challenges still exist, and work is underway to keep improving.

The principle of substantive equality requires that the government be sensitive to the specific realities of both official language groups. This means ensuring both language groups can fully access services and participate in society, even if that requires different measures.

Most institutions succeed, but 23% of them are still facing challenges in this regard. When such gaps are identified, TBS uses interdepartmental committees and directly supports individual institutions by clarifying their obligations, raising awareness and updating tools where necessary.

Finally, let me give you a concrete example of substantive equality: Employment and Social Development Canada completely overhauled their consultation process with Official Languages Minority Communities to fully understand their specific needs and adapt service delivery before any service changes are made.

Question: Your annual report shows that federal institutions’ understanding of their obligations under Part VII of the Official Languages Act is incomplete. What are you doing to change that?

The new regulations under Part VII will greatly assist federal institutions in establishing processes that will ensure respect for Part VII obligations.

At the same time, TBS is consulting with federal institutions and community stakeholders to ensure that tools and guidance are available to ensure that every institution seizes Part VII opportunities within their mandate.

Question: When will the 2024–25 annual report be tabled as well?

Under Part VIII of the Official Languages Act, the President of the Treasury Board is required to report annually on the status of official languages in the various institutions under his mandate.

While there is no set timeline, TBS is aiming to table the 2024–25 official languages annual report by fall 2026.

Question: What enforcement powers does the Treasury Board have to ensure federal institutions comply with its policies and directives?

TBS’s Framework for the Management of Compliance grants the Treasury Board a range of graduated powers to enforce compliance with its policies and directives across the federal government.

These enforcement powers are a tiered system used to ensure federal institutions comply with policies and directives. This approach moves from least to most intrusive actions, categorized into four stages: persuasion, consent, counteraction and restraint.

1. Persuasion is the initial, low-impact stage, focusing on informing and educating, and is typically used by TBS.
2. When non-compliance requires a formal commitment, TBS moves to consent. This involves securing a documented corrective action plan from the institution. It is used for requiring formal action plans to address gaps such as inadequate bilingual services.
3. Counteraction is reserved for persistent or high-risk failures where collaborative approaches have failed. This involves direct intervention, such as imposing conditions on funding and restricting the institution’s delegated authorities (for example, control over spending).
4. Restraint represents the most severe intervention for chronic failure or significant risk. At this level, TBS could impose actions such as freezing allotments (stopping the release of funds) or constraining high-value transactions.

Counteraction or restraint have, to our knowledge, never been used.

Question: What enforcement powers does the Commissioner of Official Languages have under the modernized Official Languages Act?

The Commissioner of Official Languages is an Agent of Parliament whose primary role is to ensure recognition of the equal status of both official languages and compliance with the Official Languages Act.

Under the modernized Official Languages Act, the Commissioner’s general compliance tools have been significantly strengthened:

1. investigations: the Commissioner has the power to investigate complaints from the public regarding non-compliance by federal institutions, including transportation entities
2. binding tools: following an investigation, the Commissioner can now:
   1. issue orders to federal institutions to correct a contravention related to services to the public (Part IV) or language of work (Part V)
   2. conclude Compliance Agreements, which are legally binding agreements with an institution to frame corrective actions

Issue

What is TBS doing in response to the Commissioner’s 2024–25 annual report?

Response

We appreciate the Commissioner’s continued oversight and welcome the report’s focus on protecting language rights across the federal public service.

We are encouraged by the Commissioner’s recognition of TBS initiatives, including:

• the increased language requirements for bilingual supervisory positions
• the launch of the Official Languages Accountability and Reporting Framework
• the planned designation of more than 700 additional bilingual offices

If pressed on the Commissioner’s recommendations for TBS

Supporting employees in bilingual regions whose supervisors do not meet the new CBC language levels:

• We are committed to implementing this recommendation by the target date.
• We have already increased the minimum second-language requirement for bilingual supervisors in bilingual regions. This became effective June 2025.
• We will now use our accountability tools, such as our annual official languages review exercise, to closely monitor institutions’ compliance with employee language rights.

Ensuring that budget reductions do not impact official languages

All departments remain accountable for meeting their legal obligations under the Official Languages Act.

Background

The purpose of the Commissioner’s annual reports is to inform the public and Parliament of how the federal government is fulfilling its responsibilities under the Official Languages Act and to report on the activities of the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages.

The 2024–25 annual report contains four recommendations, one of which directly targets the Treasury Board:

• I recommend that by September 30, 2026, the President of the Treasury Board implement a monitoring mechanism for federal institutions to ensure that they take and maintain measures to protect the language rights of employees in designated bilingual regions who are supervised by incumbents of unilingual positions or by incumbents of bilingual positions who do not meet the CBC second-language requirement.

In addition, the following recommendation targets all federal institutions, including TBS:

• I recommend that by May 30, 2027, the deputy heads of federal government institutions take the necessary measures to ensure that their institutions’ language obligations and their employees’ language rights are respected and taken into account during any budget reduction exercises in the federal public service.

Several TBS initiatives are positively highlighted, and only one mention is critical of TBS. The main positive mentions of TBS are as follows:

• The increase in the minimum level of second language proficiency from BBB to CBC for bilingual supervisory positions in designated bilingual regions for language-of-work purposes is applauded; the Commissioner has been calling for this change since 2016.
• The launch of TBS’s Official Languages Accountability and Reporting Framework is presented as positive, indicating though that it could have gone further.
• Regarding the development of Part VII Regulations (community vitality, protection and promotion of French), the Commissioner notes TBS’s commitment and that the Commissioner had the opportunity to participate in the consultations.
• The Commissioner also mentions TBS’s Official Languages (Communications with and Services to the public) Regulations Reapplication Exercise, which is expected to result in the newly bilingual designation of approximately 700 offices.

The only criticism of TBS is as follows:

• During the consultations launched by TBS on the AI Strategy for the Federal Public Service 2025-2027, the Commissioner submitted recommendations in a letter addressed to the President of the Treasury Board but did not receive a response. However, TBS engaged with the Commissioner of Official Languages subsequently and did incorporate some of their comments into the final strategy. Also, the launch of GCtranslate is a key project in the AI strategy, giving official languages a place of high visibility.

Issue

What do the latest statistics tell us about the federal public service’s capacity to deliver services in both official languages?

Response

Bilingual capacity in the federal public service has significantly improved since 2000:

• 95% of employees in bilingual positions meet their language requirements, up from 82.8% two decades ago
• 97% of senior executives meet the bilingual requirements of their positions

Supervisors are increasingly held to higher linguistic standards: 100% of supervisory positions in bilingual regions now require level C oral proficiency.

Representation of both official language groups remains healthy, with Francophones holding 34.8% of management positions in the core public administration, exceeding their share of the Canadian population (21.4%).

Survey data shows most public servants feel free to use their preferred official language, but we recognize that some Francophones continue to face barriers, particularly in meetings and when drafting documents.

Background

Issue

What changes has the Treasury Board made to strengthen how federal institutions are monitored for compliance with the Official Languages Act?

Response

The modernized Official Languages Act gives TBS a stronger mandate to assess how federal institutions are meeting their official languages obligations.

Previously, organizations were assessed every three years. Now, they are assessed every two years.

This assessment is also taking a more rigorous approach, requiring organizations to provide evidence to demonstrate how they’re meeting their responsibilities.

This enhanced monitoring covers all key areas of the Act, from service to the public and language of work to equitable participation and the advancement of both official languages across Canada.

Background

The modernized Official Languages Act strengthens and broadens TBS’s responsibilities in terms of monitoring, auditing and evaluating official languages within federal institutions. The Official Languages Review questionnaire was developed to monitor compliance with policy requirements. The approach adopted for the Official Languages Review is consistent with the general monitoring and reporting mandate of the TBS.

Issue

How is the President of the Treasury Board using their expanded mandate under the modernized Official Languages Act to lead and coordinate official languages governance across the federal government?

Response

As President of the Treasury Board, I have a strengthened mandate to lead, coordinate and ensure good governance of official languages across the federal government. This is about driving results, not just setting expectations.

My department supports me in this leadership role, including by coordinating the Committee of Assistant Deputy Ministers on Official Languages. This committee helps develop and monitor official languages programs and policies and promotes a government-wide approach to meeting obligations.

Our authority to ensure federal institutions respect official languages has been strengthened. We now have more power and tools to make sure services to the public, workplaces and staffing practices support both English and French, and most of these requirements are now mandatory.

Building on the monitoring and audits we’ve always done, our enhanced role means we can follow up more effectively and hold institutions accountable for meeting their obligations.

For the first time, TBS has a formal role in advancing Part VII of the Act. We help ensure federal institutions take real, concrete steps to support official language minority communities, such as promoting English and French learning, and supporting sectors such as education and culture that strengthen these communities and the institutions that serve them.

We’re also embedding official languages into broader government decisions, including real property strategies, where departments must now consult with communities to reflect their needs and priorities.

Questions and answers

Question: There is still confusion regarding the division of roles and responsibilities between Canadian Heritage and TBS under the modernized Official Languages Act. Can you clarify?

Essentially, TBS ensures compliance within the federal administration, while Canadian Heritage manages the official languages relationship outside the federal administration. Both organizations maintain close collaboration in implementing the Act.

TBS is responsible for official languages within the federal government:

• providing policies, guidance and advice to federal institutions on applying the Act
• monitoring and auditing federal institutions’ compliance with their official languages obligations
• monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of official languages policies and programs

Canadian Heritage has a complementary external-facing role, focusing on strategies and outreach:

• supporting the Minister responsible for Official Languages as the principal interlocutor with the provinces, territories and Canadians on official languages issues
• developing government-wide official languages strategies, such as the 2023–28 Action Plan, in consultation with TBS

The two departments have worked closely together for many years in implementing the Act, and that collaboration will continue.

Question: As part of your expanded responsibilities, what tools does TBS have to ensure compliance with official language requirements and how will TBS address non-compliance of institutions in meeting its official language obligations?

TBS is responsible for ensuring federal institutions meet their official languages obligations. Following the modernization of the Official Languages Act, we introduced a new accountability framework and are updating our policy instruments to guide the public service.

We have also strengthened our oversight procedure. We now use more rigorous data collection tools and have increased the frequency of reporting. All organizations are now surveyed at least every two years, and the 40 largest federal institutions must submit information annually.

While deputy heads are responsible for implementation, TBS has the authority to intervene if obligations are not met. Our compliance toolkit is robust. Measures range from follow-ups and requests for specific information to external audits and could include formal directives requiring corrective action.

Background

Issue

Can you provide an update on Part VII regulations and how will they help federal institutions take meaningful action to support official languages?

Response

The Treasury Board is developing regulations to help federal institutions take concrete, positive measures to support official language minority communities and promote the use of both English and French across Canadian society (required by Part VII of the Act).

For example, these regulations will guide federal institutions on how to include official languages as part of agreements with provinces and territories by including clauses that guarantee services in English and French when programs are delivered through those agreements.

We are working closely with Canadian Heritage, communities and consulting communities and stakeholders to develop the regulations.

I plan to table the draft regulations in the coming weeks. Once they have been tabled, they will be published in the Canada Gazette for public comment, giving Parliament, communities and Canadians the opportunity to provide feedback before the regulations are finalized.

Questions and answers

Question: Why is it taking so long to table the regulations for Part VII?

We have been developing these regulations in close collaboration with Canadian Heritage and through extensive consultation with key partners, including official language minority communities, the Official Languages Commissioner, and provincial and territorial governments.

This rigorous process moved from pre-consultations to identifying specific needs and then to statutory consultations on the regulatory options, where official language minority communities raised the elements that they wished to see included in the regulations.

Engagement is ongoing and will ensure that parliamentarians and all Canadians have a voice as we finalize the process.

Question: After two years of waiting, how will these regulations actually meet the needs of stakeholders and official language minority communities?

These regulations clearly outline how federal institutions must fulfill their commitments, such as by enhancing the vitality of official language minority communities, promoting the recognition and use of official languages in Canadian society, and protecting and promoting the French language.

They provide a common framework that clarifies obligations to ensure better compliance. Ultimately, this addresses the core request from stakeholders: ensuring greater consistency in how Part VII requirements are applied across the government.

Question: Could you clarify what is meant by “positive measures” under Part VII of the Official Languages Act and how they are expected to be applied by federal institutions?

The Act specifies that “positive measures” are concrete actions intended to have a beneficial effect on the equality of English and French.

These measures can range from promoting language learning to supporting cultural, economic or educational activities for the development of official language minorities or the creation and dissemination of scientific knowledge in French.

Essentially, the Act requires institutions to identify these opportunities through an analysis based on dialogue and consultation activities, research and evidence-based findings.

Background

Issue

How will the reapplication of the updated Official Languages Regulations expand access to bilingual services across Canada?

Response

The government is committed to delivering services that meet the needs of Canadians.

Modernized Official Languages Regulations allow us to better determine where bilingual services are required, in particular for official language minority communities.

The updated approach is more inclusive and responsive, recognizing not just population numbers but also indicators of community vitality, such as the presence of minority-language schools.

We are currently applying these new criteria using the latest census data. This work is expected to result in some 700 additional offices offering bilingual services, expanding access for Canadians across the country.

Questions and answers

Question: The language data from the latest census shows that minority Francophone communities are demographically vulnerable. What concrete steps are you taking to ensure that French-speaking Canadians across the country continue to have access to services in the official language of their choice?

We addressed the vulnerability of French-speaking communities through the 2019 amendments to the Part IV Regulations.

The updated regulations protect French services as we now directly consider the vitality of minority communities:

• the presence of a French-language minority school in the service area of an office automatically triggers a bilingual designation for that office
• federal offices will continue to be bilingual where the minority population maintains its population number, even if it decreases in proportion to the majority
• services in airports in provincial and territorial capitals will always be bilingual

These new rules have now resulted in 733 federal offices changing their status from unilingual to bilingual, increasing the percentage of bilingual offices from 34% to over 40%.

Question: How do you explain the government’s commitment to protecting and promoting the French language when it is increasing the number of federal offices, including post offices, where English is offered in Quebec?

Let me state first that any federal office in Quebec will always offer service in French first.

The increase in bilingual offices in Quebec, including post offices, is not a contradiction but the correct application of the regulations.

The increase in bilingual status simply reflects new and more inclusive rules that consider factors such as the presence of minority-language schools.

Crucially, this is a consistent measure that results in a net increase of bilingual offices across Canada, benefiting both official language communities.

Question: What are you doing to ensure government communications are available at all times in both official languages, and that French isn’t just a language for translation?

We are committed to actively offering services in both official languages with equal quality and simultaneous delivery across all communication channels.

Strong leadership is essential: senior management must lead by example. Supervisors must foster a bilingual work environment and ensure services are delivered seamlessly in both official languages where required.

The modernized Official Languages Act reinforces this through new reporting requirements and an enhanced accountability role for TBS, thus setting clear, consistent expectations across all federal institutions.

Question: Doesn’t the communications policy require government speeches to be bilingual?

Typically, the language used in speeches is aligned to the language preferences and profile of the immediate audience. A best practice is to deliver speeches bilingually when possible.

The Policy on Communications and Federal Identity requires federal institutions to ensure that communications material published by the government is available in both official languages, with equal quality and simultaneous availability. This means that when speeches are published on government websites, they must be presented in French and English.

Background

The Official Languages (Communications with and Services to the Public) Regulations (the Regulations) establish the circumstances under which federal offices are required to offer their services in one or both official languages, including the criteria that determine whether there is significant demand in the official minority language.

Between 2016 and 2019, the Regulations were revised in depth for the first time since their coming into force in 1991. The amended Regulations came into force on June 25, 2019, and include significant changes, including:

• a new, more inclusive calculation method for estimating significant demand in the official minority language that takes into account everyone who speaks the official minority language at home
• a qualitative criterion of vitality that recognizes that the existence of an official language minority school constitutes a stable indicator of community vitality and of significant demand for services in the minority language in the region where the school is located
• the demographic protection that recognizes that the official language minority population does not necessarily grow as quickly as the majority population and ensures that a federal office will remain bilingual if the official language minority population served has been maintained, even if its proportion to the general population has decreased

Most of the new provisions of the amended Regulations are being applied for the first time to the offices of institutions using linguistic data from the 2021 decennial census as part of the Official Languages Regulations Reapplication Exercise (OLRRE). The OLRRE was launched in September 2023 and takes place in several steps until 2027. Important milestones have since been achieved, and a first phase of results will be announced in the fall or winter 2025 or 2026.

It is estimated that approximately 700 additional offices could become bilingual by the end of the OLRRE, leading to a significant increase in access to bilingual services across Canada.

Issue

What are key actions taken by TBS since the modernization of the Official Languages Act?

Response

Since the modernization of the Official Languages Act in 2023, TBS has taken concrete steps to strengthen bilingualism.

A review of all our offices is underway to apply new criteria for determining where bilingual services should be provided. This is expected to result in some 700 newly designated bilingual offices across Canada by 2027.

We introduced a new Official Languages Accountability and Reporting Framework to support a more consistent application of official language requirements across government.

To support bilingualism in the workplace, we launched a Second Official Language Training Framework. This provides practical tools to help employees develop and maintain second language skills.

Language-of-work rights have also been reinforced. All supervisory positions in bilingual regions must now meet higher levels of second-language proficiency so their employees can be supervised in the official language of their choice.

Finally, work continues as we develop regulations under Part VII of the Act to help federal institutions take concrete, positive measures to support communities and promote the use of both English and French across Canada. We plan to table the draft regulations soon.

Questions and answers

Question: Why are some bilingual offices losing their bilingual designation? What measures will be in place to support affected offices and communities?

Let me begin by pointing out that 733 offices are moving from unilingual to bilingual status. This increases the overall proportion of bilingual points of service across Canada from 34% to 40%.

A small number of offices will move from bilingual to unilingual status because they no longer meet the “significant demand circumstances” set out in the Part IV Regulations. This is the correct application of the law and regulations. It affects 39 offices.

For affected offices, institutions must inform the minority population where services continue to be offered in both official languages.

As a result of the exercise, there are 4,358 bilingual points of service and 6,564 unilingual points of service across Canada.

Background

The Official Languages Act was amended in June 2023. Below are significant developments regarding its implementation and official languages modernization overall.

Issue

How is the Government of Canada ensuring that efforts to improve efficiency, such as the Comprehensive Expenditure Review, do not compromise official languages in the public service?

Response

Bilingualism is a legal obligation for the Government of Canada and a fundamental right of all Canadians.

All departments must continue to meet their obligations under the Official Languages Act, even as efforts to improve efficiency and reduce operational spending are underway.

If pressed on artificial intelligence (AI) in the public service

We have a responsibility to explore all opportunities to improve efficiency and decrease spending, but this will not come at the cost of quality.

AI tools hold great promise, but professional review and editing of AI generated texts remains essential to ensure that official Government of Canada documents are clear, accurate and of high quality.

We have engaged with the Commissioner on the AI Strategy for the Federal Public Service and we are working on an AI-powered translation tool in collaboration with the Translation Bureau to address some of his concerns.

Questions and answers

Question: How will you ensure that the public service remains bilingual as you eliminate positions through the Comprehensive Expenditure Review?

Our obligations under the Official Languages Act remain unchanged and must continue to be met by all federal government organizations. This means that organizations must provide services to Canadians in the official language of their choice and public servants in bilingual regions have the right to be supervised in the official language of their choice.

Question: The public service is looking to realize savings. Can you assure us that you will not cut language training?

Federal institutions are responsible for maintaining bilingual capacity to meet all their linguistic obligations. This includes providing language training as needed to their employees.

Question: The Official Languages Commissioner sent the former President of the Treasury Board a letter regarding AI in the public service and its potentially negative effects. How do you respond to these concerns?

TBS has engaged with the Commissioner on the AI Strategy for the Federal Public Service 2025-2027, and we are working on an AI-powered translation tool in collaboration with the Translation Bureau to address some of his concerns.

We view AI as an opportunity to significantly enhance bilingualism by improving access to reliable translation tools and by supporting second language learning.

To achieve this, TBS is working with the Translation Bureau to expand the use of GCtranslate, a self-serve translation hub, across government. At the same time, AI-powered tools will support second language learning by providing personalized learning paths that complement formal language training.

We will work with federal institutions to ensure that all AI use remains fully compliant with official language obligations.

Question: How can we ensure that AI does not result in the loss of high-quality French in service delivery and information provided to Canadians?

In March 2025, the Government of Canada launched its first-ever AI Strategy for the Federal Public Service 2025-2027. The first lighthouse project is the development of GCtranslate, an AI-powered translation tool in collaboration with the Translation Bureau, at Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) under my colleague, Minister Lightbound.

Bilingualism in the public service can be enhanced with the use of translation and interpretation AI tools. It can also support public servants’ second language learning with personalized learning experiences.

While AI may be used informally, for example for internal emails, the translation of any official documents or information should be handled by professional translators to ensure the highest levels of quality and accuracy.

Background

Issue

What concrete steps has the Government of Canada taken to strengthen bilingualism in the public service?

Response

The government is committed to a bilingual public service where employees can work, communicate and be supervised in the official language of their choice.

Since June 2025, all employees in designated bilingual regions have the right to be supervised in their preferred official language, regardless of the linguistic designation of their position.

To support this right, the minimum second-language proficiency for supervisors in bilingual regions has been raised.

We have also launched the first-ever Second Official Language Training Framework to help institutions strengthen bilingual capacity and support the ongoing development and maintenance of second-language skills.

Questions and answers

Question: What does TBS plan to do to ensure sufficient bilingual capacity in federal institutions?

Every federal institution must maintain its bilingual capacity to meet both service and language-of-work obligations. TBS supports them through four key initiatives:

1. we have raised language requirements for supervisors in bilingual regions to foster a stronger, more supportive language-of-work environment
2. we launched a new training framework to improve access to standardized second language learning
3. we have launched a new accountability framework to clarify institutional responsibilities and governance
4. finally, we will be providing guidance and tools related to the new Part VII regulations to help institutions fully understand their new obligations

Question: People from outside government are being hired as leaders of organizations such as the Major Projects Office or Build Canada Homes. How will you ensure respect for bilingualism in these new organizations?

The Official Languages Act requires that any person appointed by the Governor in Council to a position of deputy minister, associate deputy minister or an equivalent level must undergo the necessary language training upon appointment to ensure the ability to speak and clearly understand both official languages.

This responsibility falls under the Privy Council Office, as Treasury Board policy instruments do not apply to these senior-most leadership positions.

As for senior public servants to whom Treasury Board policies apply, our respective TBS directive allows appointments without the required language profile only under very limited circumstances, for example if the position is filled through an external process. If such an exception is used, the institution must justify its decision and put measures in place to ensure all bilingual duties are performed until the incumbent meets the position’s language requirements.

Question: When will we finally have an update on the review of the Bilingualism Bonus Directive and why is it taking so long to have a decision?

The review of the Bilingualism Bonus Directive is a complex process requiring co-development through the National Joint Council’s cyclical review process.

The process involves participating bargaining agents and the employer.

The cyclical review was launched in October 2023. There is no predetermined deadline for its conclusion, and as the process is still underway, I cannot comment on the process.

Background