Bilingualism a must for a Prime Minister?

[betsy]

If a civil servant has to be bilingual, then a Prime Minister must be.

How many among the "new blood" of the Liberal Party are bilingual?

[fellowtraveller]

I think you have it backwards. A PM must be bilingual, a civil servant doesn't have to be. Of course, they will spend their careers as unilingual clerks.....

[gerryhatrick]

If a civil servant has to be bilingual, then a Prime Minister must be.

How many among the "new blood" of the Liberal Party are bilingual?

What is this? You need a "can someone please do some meaningless research for me?" thread I think.

How many among the old hard-line reform of the Conservative Party are bilingual? Is Stephen Harper bilingual, or memorizing his lines?

[Leafless]

Betsy

You wrote- " If a civil servant has to be bilingual, then a Prime Minister must be."

The federal government is offically bilingual in positons that require bilingual fluency.

The prime ministers linguistic status has never been defined as having to be offically billingual.

It just so happened that a srtring of bilingual PM's from Quebec made this seem as a prerequisite.

If bilingualism is an official prerequisite for the postion of prime minister then we should just hand the country over to Quebec and get it over.

Canada is not an official bilingual country and translators are available.

[YankAbroad]

A PM should always be bilingual.

Just think of it this way -- would you accept a PM who only spoke French?

If not, why should Quebeckers accept a PM who only speaks English?

Asking for a leader who speaks both official languages is not an unreasonable request. Insisting that it is only further underscores the case of sovereignists who say that the ROC doesn't care about Quebec's needs or even basic respect for Quebecois membership in confederation.

[Canuck E Stan]

Geez, Chretien was Prime Minister for how many years?

He couldn't speak French or English.

And that's the proof of the proof.

[Argus]

A PM should always be bilingual.

Just think of it this way -- would you accept a PM who only spoke French?

If not, why should Quebeckers accept a PM who only speaks English?

Asking for a leader who speaks both official languages is not an unreasonable request. Insisting that it is only further underscores the case of sovereignists who say that the ROC doesn't care about Quebec's needs or even basic respect for Quebecois membership in confederation.

The inevitable result of such a policy, however, is that you basically are ruling out 95% of the people who live in this country from holding a top office. I mean, there aren't that many good people willing to get into politics to begin with. If you rule out 95% of them what are you left with? Further, since almost all the bilingual people are from Quebec, you are disallowing almost everyone from every other part of the country.

[shoop]

So, you aren't in favour of a Belinda Stronach candidacy I take it. Brison's French isn't all that good either - nowhere near the level of Harper's.

Oh gerry, your comments about Harper's French show a lack of intelligence on your part, coupled with unjustified hatred of the man. How many *lines* would he have to remember to perform as well as he did in the French debates?

Asking for a leader who speaks both official languages is not an unreasonable request. Insisting that it is only further underscores the case of sovereignists who say that the ROC doesn't care about Quebec's needs or even basic respect for Quebecois membership in confederation.

[Leafless]

YankAbroad

You wrote- " Just think of it this way - would you accept a PM who only spoke French? If not why should Quebecers accepts a PM who only speaks English."

They must as the country is not officially bilingual.

The commercial linguistic applications that make this country work are all carried out in English (except in Quebec which is only made possible by the tax payer of Canada) as well as the English language being the majority language.

The BNA Act allowed Quebec certain privledges within their OWN province one of them being language.

It is ludricous that Quebec thinks it is equal on a linguistic basis.

True bilingualism must be propagated by Quebec to create this sort of linguistic idealism in which from a finanancial view they are extremely limited to provide the kind of inititives to do this as well as not wanting to be officially bilingual themselves.

A official bilingual PM is a myth and the perception exist simply as an excuse to help ensure the PM's job is filled by a Quebecer.

[gerryhatrick]

Geez, Chretien was Prime Minister for how many years?

He couldn't speak French or English.

And that's the proof of the proof.

Ha ha ha! He has a speach impediment! I love it! Good one!

[Argus]

Geez, Chretien was Prime Minister for how many years?

He couldn't speak French or English.

And that's the proof of the proof.

Ha ha ha! He has a speach impediment! I love it! Good one!

He did not have a speech impediment. No one is talking about him slurring his words. People are talking about him using the wrong words, screwed up grammar, idiotic comparisons. "Da proof is da proof" is not the result of a physical disability.

[YankAbroad]

So then, assuming Canada elected an English-only PM who didn't speak French, you'd be OK with Quebec leaving the country? After all, at that point, being told the country isn't officially bilingual and even being overruled on the constitution, it would be pretty clear that Quebec's place in the existing federation isn't really a concern.

[BubberMiley]

Canada is not an official bilingual country and translators are available.

Don't you mean, Canada is officially a bilingual country but not a bilingual country in practice? And why would Betsy care how many of the new Liberal MPs are bilingual? What difference does that make? They're backbenchers!

People in this forum, I tell ya...

[Leafless]

YankAbroad

You wrote- " So then assuming Canada elected an english only PM who didn't speak French, you'd be OK with Quebec leaving the country? After all, at that point, being told the country isn't officially bilingual and even being overuled on the constitution it would be pretty clear that Quebec's place in the existing federation isn't really a concern."

You make it sound like it is not factual that Canada is not a bilingual country which it is not.

How do you interpret Quebec is being overuled by the constitution?

They were granted the use of their language and religion within their province, notice the emphasis on province.

How to you interpret this as a right outside of their province notwithstanding the fact the Liberals tried hard to impose this on the country by imposing discriminatory 'official bilingualism in the federal public service" along with questionable Charter rights that have interpreted and expanded in a discriminatory manner to include the further expansion of French rights at a tremendous financial cost to Canada.

Quebec as been treated well in confederation and if they feel they want to leave in the event Canada elects an English speaking PM then in my opinion they are free to do so.

[geoffrey]

So then, assuming Canada elected an English-only PM who didn't speak French, you'd be OK with Quebec leaving the country? After all, at that point, being told the country isn't officially bilingual and even being overruled on the constitution, it would be pretty clear that Quebec's place in the existing federation isn't really a concern.

Quebec is the only province that doesn't have to offer bilingual service in many areas. If they want French only, then Alberta should be able to go English only. Or wherever your from outside of Quebec and New Brunswick.

[tml12]

So then, assuming Canada elected an English-only PM who didn't speak French, you'd be OK with Quebec leaving the country? After all, at that point, being told the country isn't officially bilingual and even being overruled on the constitution, it would be pretty clear that Quebec's place in the existing federation isn't really a concern.

Quebec is the only province that doesn't have to offer bilingual service in many areas. If they want French only, then Alberta should be able to go English only. Or wherever your from outside of Quebec and New Brunswick.

Agreed.

[betsy]

I think you have it backwards. A PM must be bilingual, a civil servant doesn't have to be. Of course, they will spend their careers as unilingual clerks.....

I thought there's a new requirement for civil servants to become bilingual.

[tml12]

I think you have it backwards. A PM must be bilingual, a civil servant doesn't have to be. Of course, they will spend their careers as unilingual clerks.....

I thought there's a new requirement for civil servants to become bilingual.

I thought so too.

[geoffrey]

I think you have it backwards. A PM must be bilingual, a civil servant doesn't have to be. Of course, they will spend their careers as unilingual clerks.....

I thought there's a new requirement for civil servants to become bilingual.

I thought so too.

I'll say a prayer for the person that has to tell that or has told that to Argus, I'm sure there will be some riots in Ottawa shortly.

[tml12]

I think you have it backwards. A PM must be bilingual, a civil servant doesn't have to be. Of course, they will spend their careers as unilingual clerks.....

I thought there's a new requirement for civil servants to become bilingual.

I thought so too.

I'll say a prayer for the person that has to tell that or has told that to Argus, I'm sure there will be some riots in Ottawa shortly.

Tell what to Argus?

[betsy]

Canada is not an official bilingual country and translators are available.

Don't you mean, Canada is officially a bilingual country but not a bilingual country in practice? And why would Betsy care how many of the new Liberal MPs are bilingual? What difference does that make? They're backbenchers!

People in this forum, I tell ya...

My question stemmed from Mike Duffy about Belinda Stronach getting stumped by a journalist who asked a question in French. They were talking about the Liberal "new blood" that may vy for the role of opposition leader.

[tml12]

Canada is not an official bilingual country and translators are available.

Don't you mean, Canada is officially a bilingual country but not a bilingual country in practice? And why would Betsy care how many of the new Liberal MPs are bilingual? What difference does that make? They're backbenchers!

People in this forum, I tell ya...

My question stemmed from Mike Duffy about Belinda Stronach getting stumped by a journalist who asked a question in French. They were talking about the Liberal "new blood" that may vy for the role of opposition leader.

The journalist's point was Belinda doesn't speak French.

Apparently she impressed Clinton with her German though...

[BubberMiley]

I don't think that's what impressed Clinton.

[tml12]

I don't think that's what impressed Clinton.

At least when he came here he could have used a Cuban cigar...

I don't much disagree with that either Bubber...

[Spike22]

French in Ottaw for any public service job is a must now even an entry level position. Everyone just shrugs and goes along with this BS. Eveyone at a certain level in the federal government: RCMP, mil, public service etc has to have a " suitable" French profile even if they never use it except for saying a few token words at a meeting or other speaking event. For example a chief warrant officer and colonels and above have to be bilingual. What a waste of time and money. It takes approx 10 months full-time on the french course to half ass speak french and you forget 90% in the first year because you don't use it. Bone-swar.