BADDECK, NS – Yesterday morning, the Official Languages Liberal Caucus, chaired by the MP for LaSalle-Émard, Lise Zarac, met organizations representing Francophone minorities in the Province of Nova Scotia. These included the Association des juristes d’expression française (Association of French-speaking Jurists of Nova Scotia), the Fédération acadienne de la Nouvelle-Écosse and other organizations representing Nova Scotia Francophones.
These groups were unanimous in condemning the Conservative government’s decision to scrap the mandatory long-form census, which would lead to a loss of essential information making it impossible to analyze their needs. For these organizations, the mandatory long-form census is essential for the evaluation and justification of their budgets and spending plans.
Ms. Zarac condemned the Conservative government and accused it of contravening the Official Languages Act by making the national census optional. According to Ms. Zarac, “The addition of another question about official languages on the short-form is simply inadequate to replace the five questions on the long-form. The end result of this decision will be reduced services in French, particularly in vulnerable communities.”
The Liberal Party of Canada is convinced that a mandatory long-form census is essential for the proper management of public funds. Ms. Zarac concluded by saying that, “the long-form census provides us with reliable and representative data that enables people to develop programs and services for Francophones throughout Canada. Without it, there will be a decline in the vitality of the French language.”
