Notice to the reader: This document is no longer in effect. It has been archived online and is kept purely for historical purposes.
Ministers and Ministers of State as well as their staff must act in accordance with the prescriptions and
requirements of the legislative, policy and program framework described here. Provisions and requirements applicable
respectively to Ministers' and Ministers' of State parliamentary, departmental and constituency offices can differ.
The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms states that English and French are the official languages of Canada and
have equal rights and privileges in all institutions of Parliament and government and sets out several other provisions
on official languages.
The Official Languages Act (1988) gives effect to the Charter provisions on English and French as official
languages. The Act and the Official Languages Regulations govern the provision of service to the public in both
official languages. There are also policies concerning the application of the Act and Regulations as well as mechanisms
in support of the Official Languages Program, most notably access to language training and the provision of translation
and interpretation services.
Together, the Act and the Regulations set out the circumstances in which communications with and services to the
public are to take place in either official language at the public's choice.
Section 22 of the Official Languages Act apply to those offices of Ministers and Ministers of State located
in the National Capital Region (NCR). The Regulations apply to those offices that are not located in the NCR. There is
a Directory of Offices and Service Points (BUROLIS) that serve the public, which identifies all offices and service
points with the obligation to provide services and communications in both official languages and is found at http://www.hrma-agrh.gc.ca/burolis/home-accueil_e.asp.
Also, employees of federal institutions have the right to work in the official language of their choice in regions
designated bilingual for that purpose when they are not serving the public if their position is bilingual or unilingual
in their own language.
The government is committed to achieving, with due regard to the merit principle, equitable participation as well
as, equal opportunities for employment and advancement of English-speaking and French-speaking Canadians in federal
institutions.
Each institution that is subject to the Act is responsible for its implementation within its area of
responsibility.
The Public Service Human Resources Management Agency has responsibilities of general direction and coordination
regarding the Act's requirements on service to the public, language of work and equitable participation in all subject
institutions; the Senate, the House of Commons and the Library of Parliament are subject to the Official Languages
Act, but are not required to follow The Public Service Human Resources Management Agency policies on official
languages, and are not accountable to the Public Service Human Resources Management Agency for their performance.
Ministers' and Ministers' of States offices located in the National Capital Region must have the capacity to
communicate with and serve the public in both official languages. This obligation must effectively be discharged in all
aspects of their interface with the public, be they written or oral communications. Ministers' offices must therefore
have enough qualified staff to meet these requirements which go from simple bilingual reception on the premises and on
the telephone to an ability to deal with the public on substantive issues in both official languages.
The National Capital Region (NCR) is one of the regions designated as bilingual for language of work. In Ministers'
and Ministers' of States offices that are located in the NCR, a work environment must be created that allows employees
to use the official language of their choice when they are not serving the public. This must be reflected in the
conduct and character of meetings, in the acceptance of documents and presentations in either official language, and in
the issuing of instructions. Employees occupying bilingual positions or positions requiring the use of either English
or French exclusively, must be supervised or have supervision available to them in the language(s) of the position(s)
supervised so that employees can speak and write in the official language of their choice.
The Official Languages Act commits the federal government to ensuring that English-speaking and
French-speaking Canadians have equal opportunities for employment and advancement within federal institutions without
regard to their ethnic origin or their first language learned. The composition of the work-force of federal
institutions should therefore reflect the presence of both linguistic communities. Ministers' offices should take these
principles into account when establishing the composition of the personnel that will enable an office to meet a
Minister's office needs and the office's obligations as regards service to the public and language of work.
Ministers' and Ministers' of State exempt staff should consult the deputy head of their departments for additional
general information on official languages. Departments have a Director of Official Languages or another official
responsible for official languages within the department. This person can answer specific questions on departmental
official languages programs, policies and issues. More general questions may also be directed to the Office of the
Vice-President, Official Languages Branch of the Public Service Human Resources Management Agency, (613) 952-2932.
There are support mechanisms to help in meeting official languages requirements in federal institutions including
language training and translation services. There are Treasury Board policies on determining the language requirements
of positions, and staffing bilingual positions (http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/pubs_pol/hrpubs/OffLang/dsbp-ddpb_e.asp)
as well as a directive on language training and learning retention: http://publiservice.tbs-sct.gc.ca/pubs_pol/hrpubs/OffLang/dltlr-dflma_e.asp.
There is a guide for the use of translation services. Language training, at the government's expense, is available to
Ministers, Ministers of State and their staff to enable those who require a knowledge of both official languages to
perform their duties. Translation and interpretation services are also available. These services, when provided within
departments and agencies, are on a cost-recovery basis through departmental operating budgets. The cost-recovery
principle does not apply when these services are provided through the Senate, the House of Commons or the Library of
Parliament.
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