More can be done

Still not enough provincial services available in French, says former employee

Two years after Jean-Paul Arsenault quit his post as complaints officer in protest, he says the province still hasn’t meaningfully increased the number of French language services. Arsenault resigned from his job with the Acadian and Francophone Affairs Secretariat in December 2016, two years before the end of his term. As a 21-year veteran of the provincial government, he knows more can be done.

“I see tremendous opportunity to designate additional services under the regulations. I’m disappointed that more hasn’t been done,” said Arsenault in an email when approached for comment by the Journal Pioneer.

His role was to handle complaints made to services covered within the scope of the French Language Services Act.

In 2016, Arsenault and the francophone community were frustrated there were only three services required to be offered in both official languages: road signage, the 511 road conditions telephone line, and the two public French libraries.

At the time, Premier Wade MacLauchlan said efforts to increase the number of designated services were ongoing.

Two years on, the list has grown to nine services, but Arsenault said they’re the “low hanging fruit.”

Services at Musée Acadien and the Access P.E.I. office in Wellington are obvious choices for bilingual help.

“Can you imagine not receiving service in both languages at either location?”

And it’s not because the province lacks qualified staff. Arsenault counted 143 bilingual positions with another 131 bilingual staff in the 2016-2017 French Language Services Act annual report.

“The causes? Bureaucratic inefficiency, lack of political will, or both,” said Arsenault. “If there was political will to match the community’s needs with bilingual service capacity, it could be done strategically and at no additional cost.” Arsenault said in his three years as complaints officer, he

presented his ideas to the Acadian and Francophone Community Advisory Committee, Acadian and Francophone Affairs Secretariat, Société Saint-Thomas d’Aquin, and Premier MacLauchlan.

Despite Arsenault’s ongoing concerns, the province says it is

pleased with its progress. An Acadian and Francophone Community Advisory Committee was struck and continue to play an important role, said a spokesperson for the Acadian and Francophone Affairs Secretariat.

“They advise government on the priorities of the Acadian and Francophone community which informs government’s plans for the designation of services.

“Since the resignation of the previous complaints officer, there have been many changes. An additional six designated services have been added, bringing the total to nine as of today,” said a government spokesperson. More services are slated to become designated this year.

“I simply don’t believe that government has taken the matter seriously, despite the apparent interest of the Minister responsible,” said Arsenault.

“I resigned because I felt the position was a waste of my time and government’s money. I don’t regret my decision, and I’m certainly not satisfied with the progress made since I left.”