[Canada] Canadian Politics Redux

[Malthus]

@garbon

Apparently, Malthus thinks it's no big deal to abolish the language commissioner, and to scrap for the umpteenth times the plans of a French language University in Toronto. Vip and GF point out it's a big deal - by pointing at the imbalance in the resources devoted to linguistic minorities in Quebec (where the condition of the well attended-to English minority is under microscopic scrutiny in the English language press) and Ontario (where the English language press suddenly doesn't seem to care about the perennially spotty coverage of French services). 

To focus on the absence of an office named "Language commissioner" in Quebec, or on the language of the Constitution seems, to me, to miss the point.

Apparently, my actual words to the exact contrary don't matter! 

[Malthus]

... and I would agree. 

I must have misunderstood your sentiment, then, when you dismissed the abolition of the commissioner as of little consequence. If I did, apologies.

No problem.

I did not dismiss the cut of being "of little consequence".

What I did was point out that of the three shitty cuts Ford is making as stated in the article, by far the worst was of the Environmental Commissioner.

The reason: I happen to believe that, without significant protection of the environment, we won't even be around to worry about language rights ... 

[chipwich]

Sarah Sanders should try the "talks in allegory" line

[Oexmelin]

Apparently, my actual words to the exact contrary don't matter! 

I missed it sandwiched between the long posts and gigantic pictures of tweets.

[Oexmelin]

Sarah Sanders should try the "talks in allegory" line

Unfortunately, and despite all appearances to the contrary, Trump doesn't have the excuse of engaging in debates in a language not his own.

[Malthus]

To summarize:

- Are the Ford cuts of various offices, including the French Commissioner, a bad thing? - Undoubtedly. Also, the history of minority rights in the province makes such an office a necessary and worthwhile initiative.

Ford's reasoning - that the Ombudsman can do the same job - is not persuasive; and his cutting, at the same time, of a French-language university all parties had previously agreed on demonstrates his lack of priority to minority language rights.

So far, are we all in agreement? These were never the subject of the debate.

[Grey Fox]

Is allegory not a english word? my spell check is ok with it. I haven't googled it.

I rather we talk about the double standard in the Press than the one we might or might not have in the constitution.

[Agelastus]

That image uses a very "interesting" map of Quebec...

[Oexmelin]

It's the one true Quebec! We shall never recognize the boundary imposed unfairly by the imperialist powers in London!

(When I was a kid, all Quebec maps had that shape. Now, it's easier to find the one with the Labrador border, albeit traced in a different way (this was part of a directive in 1997). The border is still not recognized officially, although it has been in practice)

[viper37]

Let me ask you this: does Quebec have an "English Language Commissioner" right now?

Secretariat for relations with English-speaking Quebecers

[viper37]

Reciting over and over again "the history of my province" speaks nothing to the problems of the present day, which are different from those of 1925 or 1944. Things have changed. In particular, when it comes to minority language rights, there is now a document - The Charter of Rights - the very same that you were busy disparaging - which will prevent the exact thing you claim to fear.

As evidenced everywhere in Canada, while you can't outright ban the use of French in schools (or Swaheli, for that matter), provincial governments are under no obligations to let French manage their schools or provide them with equal funding to English schools.

Franco British Columbians are sueing their government for this, and it does not look good.  For one, they don't have the right to a French trial, not being an "individual".  They have to foot the bill for translating everything they submit to the court and the government is under no obligation to translate anything for them.

Alberta is under no obligation translate its laws and English laws prevails.

New Brunswick govt is a coallition with a party whose primary stance is to abolish official bilinguism in the province.

Things looks really bleak for French Canadians right now.

[Zoupa]

Ils s'en calissent de nous autre, rien de neuf. Et Legault qui va faire des yeux doux a Ford... Misere de misere de colon.

[HVC]

Misery of the ass?

[Zoupa]

Colon means "colonized". Usually applied to Quebecers that'll bend over and smile willingly while an anglo treats them like merde.

[HVC]

Ahh, that makes more sense.



And stop trying to ruin my country foreigner!