Interpreters at video Parliament suffer injuries

OTTAWA — Virtual sittings of the House of Commons and parliamentary committees are causing headaches for interpreters — literally.

Coping with iffy audio quality, occasional feedback loops, new technology and MPs who speak too quickly has resulted in a steep increase in interpreters reporting workplace injuries, according to the union that represents about 70 accredited interpreters who translate English into French and vice versa. Injuries include acute acoustic shock, tinnitus, headaches, nausea, sleeplessness, mental fog and inability to concentrate.

Commons Speaker Anthony Rota has been doing his best to help by reminding MPs repeatedly to wear headsets, which provide better audio quality, and to speak more slowly.

But the advice clashes with another change that has resulted from the move to virtual proceedings during the COVID-19 pandemic — strict limits on the time allowed to question ministers and for them to give answers.

To make the most of their five-minutes worth of questions, some MPs are asking a series of rapidfire questions, which can leave ministers with only a few seconds of matching time in which to attempt to answer.

This week, interpreters and their union, the Canadian Association of Professional Employees, appealed to MPs on the procedure and House affairs committee, which is studying ways to move to a fully virtual Parliament, to help minimize the problems.