The Bigoted Liberal Party of Canada, and the Predictable NDP

[blueblood]

So you think a final slate of candidates for a given job is a waste of time then? That is, don't screen candidates just pick your favourite?

So? you pick the best one out of the final slate. Competition produces the best results. Everyones abilities are different, not everyone in the nhl is sidney crosby.

[Keepitsimple]

Isn't it ironic that Mr. Ferguson was the Auditor General for New Brunswick - Canada's only officially bi-lingual province. He was the AG there for 5 years without a peep about his limited ability to speak French.

[Shwa]

So? you pick the best one out of the final slate. Competition produces the best results. Everyones abilities are different, not everyone in the nhl is sidney crosby.

Yes, exactly. So when you get to the point where you are doing the 'final interviews' wouldn't you say that the people on that final slate are equal in one way or another by having passed the qualification requirements you had originally advertised the job for?

Well, except in this case where the bilingualism qualification was dropped for some reason.

[Topaz]

The Tories would like us to believe that out of the population in Canada there is only one guy for the job and he doesn't speak French, even though he's from New Brunswick??? The Tories also said in there advertisement that the person must speak French. The AG gets paid over $300,000 yearly and if other past AG had to speak the language at the time of applying for the job, (except, one, I understand?) then he should be treated the same way as the majority of past AGs! I'm sure this guy will get in and when he does, he'll have nothing but praise for what the Tories are doing in running the country. More and more its looking like a dictatorship and people don't care, at least, for now.

[Tilter]

Quebec provincial government maybe, but bilingualism in the Federal government is an asset and required in many places, but not all. Some regions still employ unilingual English staff don't you know...

Quebec provincial government maybe

Maybe??

The Quebec government won't even answer a letter written in English.

Been there, done that---- No thanks Merci Beaucoup.

[blueblood]

Yes, exactly. So when you get to the point where you are doing the 'final interviews' wouldn't you say that the people on that final slate are equal in one way or another by having passed the qualification requirements you had originally advertised the job for?

Well, except in this case where the bilingualism qualification was dropped for some reason.

Nope. They met the minimum requirements and there is going to be someone out of them who has better skills. Anyone can be bilingual, few people can manage. If language is an issue there is an app for that or scrounge up one of the many interpreters on the hill.

[cybercoma]

The Liberals are mad at us!. Oh the scary Liberals and their 31 seats are mad at us.

I love how Bilingualism is only a one way street BTW. You gotta be bilingual in English Canada to get anywhere in the government. No so much in Quebec.

You know bilingual means you have to speak both languages right? Like, when someone from Quebec wants to be AG they need to speak English or if they want to be a Supreme Court Justice they need to speak English.

So yeah, it's a two-way street.

Unless you want to use the example that you only have to speak English in every provincial government in this country, except Quebec, Ontario and New Brunswick.

[Smallc]

Unless you want to use the example that you only have to speak English in every provincial government in this country, except Quebec, Ontario and New Brunswick.

Manitoba, also.

[cybercoma]

Manitoba, also.

The thing is that New Brunswick is the only province that requires you to be bilingual to work for them. Quebec you have to be French and the rest you have to be English, but they opt to provide services in French where it's needed. In other words, all of the provinces are essentially monolingual, but New Brunswick.

[Smallc]

And yet, this AG worked for New Brunswick.

Anyway, Manitoba and Ontario will both provide services in French, and Quebec in English when required. All of Manitoba's legislation is in both languages.

[Shwa]

Nope. They met the minimum requirements and there is going to be someone out of them who has better skills. Anyone can be bilingual, few people can manage. If language is an issue there is an app for that or scrounge up one of the many interpreters on the hill.

Yep, the minimum requirements suggest an equal footing for the candidates so then it comes down to some other factor or skill that makes the final determination of suitability. What I would like to know is, what that factor or skill is that overrides the minimum requirements in this case. Could be there were no bilingual candidates, which is one factor. If that were the case one would think the disengenuous Liberals would have known that. I mean any monkey can be a manager.

As for the app-for-that, which is completely unsuitable for detailed information like being grilled on the hill or giving press conferences or making detailed reports, it looks like they will have to go with an interpreter or have decided to send the new AG to French immersion to meet the original qualifications.

[punked]

So, we have a new Auditor General, and he doesn't speak French to the level of being considered completely bilingual. I thought, that in this country, we had the ability to operate in the language of our choice?

This is just silliness. The best candidate should get the job as long as they speak one of the official languages (and of course, there are going to be exceptions in certain language areas). The Liberals and NDP should stop being bigoted, it's that simple.

You do know the job posting had as a requirement that person who got the job be bilingual right? It was the government who made it a requirement then when it came out AFTER the government promised he could speak French that he couldn't they pretend it wasn't one of the requirements they set out. They flip and they flop don't they?

[Smallc]

And when a candidate exceeds all others in areas that are more important to the job, qualifications become flexible. No one flip flopped on anything.

[Shwa]

And when a candidate exceeds all others in areas that are more important to the job, qualifications become flexible.

And there is no shred of evidence or information that this is the case here. In fact, it looks like blatant Conservative cronyism and nothing more.

Tim Harper: Ferguson hung out to dry in either official language

Unless, of course, you can come up with this magic, over-riding skill that he posesses that erases job qualifications.

[Smallc]

From your article:

This is not Ferguson’s fault, although how he endured 11 years as comptroller, auditor general and deputy finance minister speaking only English in officially bilingual New Brunswick will remain an enduring mystery.

Obviously, there must be something about him...say, hi job skills.

He met enough to the qualifications that he has selected. I'm not really sure what this is really about.

[wyly]

So, we have a new Auditor General, and he doesn't speak French to the level of being considered completely bilingual. I thought, that in this country, we had the ability to operate in the language of our choice?

This is just silliness. The best candidate should get the job as long as they speak one of the official languages (and of course, there are going to be exceptions in certain language areas). The Liberals and NDP should stop being bigoted, it's that simple.

and if the best candidate spoke only french?...let's be honest here we all we know that a unilingual francophone would never be considered for the job... Edited November 3, 2011 by wyly

[Smallc]

and if the best candidate spoke only french?...let's be honest here we all we know that in unilingual francophone would never be considered for the job...

Why would you say that? I see no evidence. I would personally be fine with it.

[wyly]

Why would you say that? I see no evidence. I would personally be fine with it.

why? because I'm not naive and have lived in this country a long long time...

[cybercoma]

Why would you say that? I see no evidence. I would personally be fine with it.

And when this monolingual person has to work with documents in the language that they don't understand, then what? Have an interpreter explain them to him/her?

[Smallc]

And when this monolingual person has to work with documents in the language that they don't understand, then what? Have an interpreter explain them to him/her?

It's my understanding that virtually all documents from or presented to the Government of Canada are in both official languages.

[cybercoma]

It's my understanding that virtually all documents from or presented to the Government of Canada are in both official languages.

When the Auditor General investigates into a matter, they have interpreters go through all the documents involved and translate them into both languages?

[Smallc]

When the Auditor General investigates into a matter, they have interpreters go through all the documents involved and translate them into both languages?

Almost all documents already are in both languages.

[punked]

Almost all documents already are in both languages.

See the problem isn't that this person is Bilingual or not. It is, that is was a requirement of the job. If you think it is a dumb requirement and you dismiss it like you are doing right now you should take issue with the government making it a requirement in the first place. This is a government that loves to move the goal posts and you seem quite content with that.

[Smallc]

See the problem isn't that this person is Bilingual or not. It is, that is was a requirement of the job. If you think it is a dumb requirement and you dismiss it like you are doing right now you should take issue with the government making it a requirement in the first place. This is a government that loves to move the goal posts and you seem quite content with that.

It was a dumb requirement, but as someone who hires people, I understand that job requirements are not always set in stone.

[wyly]

It was a dumb requirement,

dumb? an important federal position in a country that is officially bilingual not requiring the applicant to be bilingual is what is dumb...

but as someone who hires people, I understand that job requirements are not always set in stone.

when hiring a someone to fly a plane his/her ability to be fully qualified is set in stone...requiring someone to be experienced as manager of the fries machine at McDs is not set in stone...

I've got one kid who is bilingual and she doesn't need to be for her career and wyly Jr is on his way to being bilingual as well and this is in calgary!...