Meilleur will get languages post
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is set to name ex- Ontario cabinet minister Madeleine Meilleur as official languages commissioner, The Canadian Press has learned.
Meilleur announced her retirement from political life last June after 13 years as an Ontario MPP for Ottawa-Vanier.
The longtime Liberal held numerous cabinet posts during her career in the Wynne and McGuinty governments, including francophone affairs, culture, community safety and correctional services, and also served as attorney-general.
Meilleur is well-known for having participated in the fight to save the Montfort Hospital in Ottawa in the late 1990s.
News of her candidacy isn’t creating unanimity among the opposition, with the NDP calling it a partisan appointment.
“It undermines the authority and credibility of the institution,” party Leader Tom Mulcair said during question period Wednesday. “Will the prime minister withdraw this appointment, which makes no sense?”
Trudeau did not confirm Meilleur’s nomination, saying only the government is consulting with opposition parties before appointing a new commissioner in the coming weeks. “We believe fundamentally in the importance of protecting our official languages,” Trudeau replied. “We’re going to pick someone of the highest calibre.”