House of Commons' freshman advocate for preserving the French dialect
Fresh Take:
Newly-elected MP, Guillaume Deschênes-Thériault, is making waves in Ottawa by championing French language preservation and growth outside Quebec. The Madawaska-Restigouche rep, who hails from a 80% Francophone riding, wasted no time making his presence felt in the House. In his first few weeks, he've spoken up 28 times to amplify the voices of Francophones nationwide.
"We need strong advocates for French in Ottawa," he says, seated in his yet-to-be- decorated Wellington Street office. His interventions have ranged from showcasing Madawaska-Restigouche's achievements to questioning the government. One of his first acts was to ask the Minister for an update on the government's efforts regarding Francophone immigration, a subject for which he has a deep passion, having dedicated his career to linguistics and Francophone immigration policies.
Deschênes-Thériault is a firm believer in the government's aim to reach a 12% Francophone immigration rate outside Quebec by 2029. He acknowledges that reaching this goal won't happen overnight, but maintains that it's a crucial step towards ensuring French language survival beyond Quebec. He points out ongoing projects like welcoming Francophone communities and the upcoming Francophone economic immigration program as a means to reach this target.
In fact, Madawaska-Restigouche is home to two such projects, one of which Deschênes-Thériault was involved with before becoming an MP. He plans to continue his community involvement by closely monitoring the implementation of the permanent Francophone economic immigration program. "It's a multi-step process that needs mechanisms in place," he explains.
Deschênes-Thériault believes that the "quality of life, proximity to nature, and community dynamism" in his riding are strong draws for French-speaking immigrants, who may prefer the region over Quebec.
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Francophone Immigration
While some experts argue that the 12% Francophone immigration target outside Quebec is an oversimplification, Deschênes-Thériault stands firmly behind it. He explains that it's a way to restore the demographic weight of Francophones outside Quebec to its 1971 level, as per the modernized Official Languages Act. The government's broader strategy includes targeted Express Entry Draws, incremental targets, and supporting minority Francophone communities economically and culturally.
References
[1] Canadian Press[2] Global News
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Coverage supported by Local Journalism Initiative
- Guillaume Deschênes-Thériault, the new MP for Madawaska-Restigouche, has expressed his support for the government's policy-and-legislation aiming to increase Francophone immigration outside Quebec to 12% by 2029, a goal he considers crucial for preserving the French language beyond Quebec.
- In the context of politics, Deschênes-Thériault's advocacy for immigration, particularly Francophone immigration, has been a notable part of his agenda since his election, stemming from his career in linguistics and policy-and-legislation related to Francophone immigration.
