Greater diversity in civil service is long overdue

This is not only about job equity, it also serves Quebec’s broader interest

Last week, Kathleen Weil, minister responsible for relations with Quebec’s English-speaking communities, announced a massive “hiring blitz” with an emphasis on beefing up the number of anglophones, allophones and other members of minority groups in the provincial civil service.

It’s a welcome initiative, and one that is long overdue.

Despite the perception in some quarters of a minority anglophone elite still pulling the levers of power in Quebec, it is actually quite difficult for members of cultural and linguistic minority groups — including those who speak French well — to establish a career in government. According to Weil, minority representation in the public service has stood at about one per cent in a pool of 60,000 for a number of years.

The Liberals say they want to be more proactive in raising the proportion of civil servants who are minority members to 18 per cent over the next five years.

This is about more than job equity. Bringing more members of minority groups on board in the public service works in the broader interest of Quebec. For example, in recent years the under-representation of English-speakers in politics and the public service has led to misguided policy measures and government restructuring, both actual and attempted, in the health and education sectors, without consideration for the collateral damage to Quebec’s long-standing English-language institutions.

Another factor to consider: English-speaking youth, born and raised in the province, don’t always see a promising future for themselves here. Many opt to pursue opportunities elsewhere once they graduate from university. In late May, Weil announced a partnership with McGill University to address this issue of youth retention. McGill will receive $925,000 to conduct three projects over a span of two years in collaboration with the McGill Institute for Health and Social Policy (IHSP), Dialogue McGill, Youth Employment Services (YES) and the Townshippers Association in the eastern townships. This, too, is good news.

Are the Liberals trying to curry favour with English-speaking minority communities ahead of what promises to be a tight provincial election in the fall? Well, yeah.

The Coalition Avenir Québec is still leading in the polls. There is serious competition for votes this year. Nothing can be taken for granted.

By the way, it’s not just the Liberals who are pushing for more diversity in government structures.

Although less focused on Quebec’s Englishspeaking communities, Québec solidaire also recently announced a plan to better integrate members of minority groups — immigrants and visible minorities more specifically — into the public service and political parties. If elected, QS says they will introduce a four-part policy to increase hiring and improve the integration of members of cultural minorities into the public service, create immigrant welcoming centres, and work on francization and the recognition of foreign credentials.

It is refreshing to see this change of tone, particularly at a political level.

For years, Quebec has been staring down the barrel of a deep demographic shift. Our workforce is aging, and birthrates are declining. There are labour shortages in a number of sectors, and high rates of immigration are necessary to balance this shrinking population. Yet francophone Quebec still grapples with a perception of itself as a threatened linguistic and cultural minority in North America. There are those who feel that English-speakers, immigrants and other minorities — even those who speak French — pose a threat to the vitality and security of the French language and culture in this province.

The only way to shift this kind of thinking is by working together to change it. The public service seems like a good place to start.

There are currently 1,500 full- and part-time available positions, primarily in Quebec City and Montreal, but also in the regions around the province. The call for applications runs from June 7 to 19. Put the word out. Twitter.com/CooperCeline