We will have to wait until the fall to hear the province’s response to recommendations made in the Official Languages Act review.
“Providing an appropriate and comprehensive response to these recommendations is crucial and should not be rushed,” Premier Blaine Higgs said in a statement on Thursday.
The New Brunswick government has been reviewing the recommendations included in the review, which was made public in December, and in the second-language learning report, released in February.
Several of the recommendations relate to local government. As the province moves forward with local governance reform, said Thursday’s statement, it will determine the role new regional areas should play in service delivery and how they can better reflect regional language demographics.
“These recommendations are complex and can impact the daily lives of all New Brunswickers. They are far-reaching, covering a variety of areas, including the workplace, education, the operation of municipalities, and even the role of the commissioner,” added Higgs.
Further analysis of standardized assessments of language skills is also needed, the province said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the province’s official languages commissioner is not happy with how long the province is taking to provide a response.
“I am disappointed that the government is still unable to tell us what its intentions are with regard to the review of the Official Languages Act, more than six months after the conclusion of Commissioners Finn and McLaughlin’s consultation work,” Shirley MacLean said in a statement late Thursday.
“What is the point of a review process when the government does not provide a response to ensure that the recommendations resulting from the consultations are implemented in a timely manner? Our province’s Official Languages Act and two linguistic communities deserve better,” added MacLean.
Provisions under the Official Languages Act require it to be reviewed every 10 years.
