Mulroney promises equal access to francophones
Ontario Attorney General Caroline Mulroney said Tuesday her government wants to improve access to justice for Franco-Ontarians, while it continues to face backlash for cuts to other French services.
Mulroney, who is also minister of francophone affairs, was speaking at Osgoode Hall at the launch of a French-language website spearheaded by Community Legal Education Ontario and designed to help Franco-Ontarians navigate the justice system. The Ministry of the Attorney General is listed as partner. (A version of the website already existed in English.)
“Our government is determined to improve access to justice in French in Ontario,” Mulroney said in French.
She mentioned having spoken about it to francophone Court of Appeal Justice Paul Rouleau, who was in attendance Tuesday. Mulroney also voiced support for a pilot project launched by the previous Liberal government at the Ottawa courthouse to assist Franco- Ontarians, which includes signage informing them of their language rights in various court proceedings and having staff offer services in French.
“We are exploring the possibility of building on the success of this project elsewhere in the province,” she said.
Tories continue to face criticism for the decision to cut some French-language services, announced this month, which Mulroney has defended as necessary to cut the deficit.
Mulroney’s own parliamentary secretary for francophone affairs, eastern Ontario MPP Amanda Simard, has rebuked the government over the cuts and has urged Franco-Ontarians to pressure her government to reverse them.
The government won’t proceed with plans announced by the Liberals to build a Frenchlanguage university. It had also said it would transfer the responsibilities of the French language services commissioner, an independent watchdog who reports to the legislature, to the office of the ombudsman.
After outcry from francophones, the Ford government said it would maintain the position of commissioner, but within the ombudsman’s office, and the office of francophone affairs would become a ministry, with Mulroney as minister. Also, it will hire a senior adviser on francophone affairs.
Nonetheless, the government is being called on to reduce the cuts. Mulroney received an otherwise warm reception Tuesday, including from Ontario Court Chief Justice Lise Maisonneuve.