Trudeau backtracks from French schools remark
Patrick_Ross @ Mon May 07, 2007 4:36 pm
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/s ... hub=Canada
$1:
Trudeau backtracks from French schools remark
OTTAWA -- It took just over a week for Justin Trudeau to run afoul of his party leader and earn a public lecture about the Charter of Rights his father created.
Leader Stephane Dion distanced himself Monday from Trudeau's weekend suggestion that New Brunswick should put an end to separate English and French school systems and create one bilingual system.
Dion pointed out that the Charter of Rights guarantees minority-language educational institutions and said his new star recruit has some explaining to do.
"He's new,'' Dion said of his rookie candidate, who is the son of former prime minister Pierre Trudeau.
"He will certainly have to clarify his thinking.''
Dion said official bilingualism is dear to Liberals and repeated his call for Trudeau to explain himself.
Trudeau issued a statement expressing regret over how his remarks were interpreted.
"If I offended Acadians and francophones living in minority situations, I would like to publicly apologize,'' he said.
"I spent several years of my life teaching, in French, in Vancouver. I am and I always have been a fervent defender of bilingualism, and even more than bilingualism.''
Trudeau said separate school systems are divisive and economically inefficient when he was asked a question by a a a member of the audience following a speech Friday to 2,000 New Brunswick elementary school teachers.
He also said Canadian children should move beyond bilingualism and learn a third or fourth language that would help them succeed in the 21st century job market.
The remarks were criticized by New Brunswick politicians of all stripes.
Former Conservative premier Bernard Lord noted the irony that it was his own father who extended the minority-language protection in Section 23 of the Charter.
"Maybe his name's Trudeau but he doesn't understand what's in the Charter,'' Lord told CTV.
"It's a major mistake.''
New Brunswick's Liberal education minister, Kelly Lamrock, said two separate school systems are the best way to deal with unique challenges faced in New Brunswick.
For example, Lamrock said, French is much more common in some parts of the province and students there would take intensive English classes early on.
Dion scoffed when asked whether off-the-cuff comments like the ones Trudeau made last weekend will hurt the party in Quebec, where the young candidate hopes to win a seat in the next election.
No province defends its jurisdictions more fiercely than Quebec and Section 93 of the 1867 Constitution Act clearly establishes education a provincial responsibility.
"No. Listen, he's starting out,'' Dion replied.
"It happens to everyone to make remarks they need to clarify later, and we shouldn't judge him forever for one remark.''
OTTAWA -- It took just over a week for Justin Trudeau to run afoul of his party leader and earn a public lecture about the Charter of Rights his father created.
Leader Stephane Dion distanced himself Monday from Trudeau's weekend suggestion that New Brunswick should put an end to separate English and French school systems and create one bilingual system.
Dion pointed out that the Charter of Rights guarantees minority-language educational institutions and said his new star recruit has some explaining to do.
"He's new,'' Dion said of his rookie candidate, who is the son of former prime minister Pierre Trudeau.
"He will certainly have to clarify his thinking.''
Dion said official bilingualism is dear to Liberals and repeated his call for Trudeau to explain himself.
Trudeau issued a statement expressing regret over how his remarks were interpreted.
"If I offended Acadians and francophones living in minority situations, I would like to publicly apologize,'' he said.
"I spent several years of my life teaching, in French, in Vancouver. I am and I always have been a fervent defender of bilingualism, and even more than bilingualism.''
Trudeau said separate school systems are divisive and economically inefficient when he was asked a question by a a a member of the audience following a speech Friday to 2,000 New Brunswick elementary school teachers.
He also said Canadian children should move beyond bilingualism and learn a third or fourth language that would help them succeed in the 21st century job market.
The remarks were criticized by New Brunswick politicians of all stripes.
Former Conservative premier Bernard Lord noted the irony that it was his own father who extended the minority-language protection in Section 23 of the Charter.
"Maybe his name's Trudeau but he doesn't understand what's in the Charter,'' Lord told CTV.
"It's a major mistake.''
New Brunswick's Liberal education minister, Kelly Lamrock, said two separate school systems are the best way to deal with unique challenges faced in New Brunswick.
For example, Lamrock said, French is much more common in some parts of the province and students there would take intensive English classes early on.
Dion scoffed when asked whether off-the-cuff comments like the ones Trudeau made last weekend will hurt the party in Quebec, where the young candidate hopes to win a seat in the next election.
No province defends its jurisdictions more fiercely than Quebec and Section 93 of the 1867 Constitution Act clearly establishes education a provincial responsibility.
"No. Listen, he's starting out,'' Dion replied.
"It happens to everyone to make remarks they need to clarify later, and we shouldn't judge him forever for one remark.''
ridenrain @ Mon May 07, 2007 4:45 pm
So who did Dion vote for in the French elections?
BluesBud @ Mon May 07, 2007 5:23 pm
ridenrain ridenrain:
So who did Dion vote for in the French elections?
Same person you voted for. Just a little of topic 'rain. Don't ya think?
ridenrain @ Mon May 07, 2007 5:37 pm
Granted, but this is about Trudeau and Dion. You should be thankful I didn't say what I normally do about their lot.
Patrick Ross: Pardon the intrusion.
Clogeroo @ Mon May 07, 2007 5:48 pm
Why can't everyone in Canada just learn English? If people want to learn another language just offer second language studies in English schools (They already do this). Wouldn't this be far more cost effective?
CCT @ Mon May 07, 2007 6:06 pm
It would seem that Trudeau the Younger has much to learn about the Force, as in how to SAY what he means then, MEAN what he says without some ex-seperatist pushing him to recant.
His idea is correct in a modern world and modern Canada.
Teach both, BUT let the language barrier (and it truly is) go the way of the dodo.
The Quebec dependance on language legislation to ensure 'their version of French language' is the official provincial language is archaic and a hindrance to a unified and cosmopolitan Canadian establishment.
His father played politcal games at a time when we were, nationally, younger and fed up with the whining. So he repatraiated our Constitution and managed to entrench a minority second language as a recognized 'right' within our country. What a charlatan!
Now, his son has a chance to atone, and pees all over himself to beg forgiveness when he says what anyone with a brain would say, and the leaders of his politcal affiliation poke him with their sharp, pointy sticks recants.
He is now a laughable loser.
Who is next?
Rihx @ Wed May 09, 2007 9:08 am
Its a strange day when I actually agree with a Trudeau.... English and French are two of the most dominant languages in the world and having seperate school systems is inefficient.
If you know both languages you can go just about anywhere in the world and not have many language problems. Not to mention most of the political strife in this country is caused because of the language barrier, school systems that promoted being bilingual would go a long way to getting wrid of those problems.
Patrick_Ross @ Wed May 09, 2007 9:54 am
ridenrain ridenrain:
Granted, but this is about Trudeau and Dion. You should be thankful I didn't say what I normally do about their lot.
Patrick Ross: Pardon the intrusion.
Patrick Ross: Pardon the intrusion.
'Tis hardly an intrusion at all. Consider it pardoned.
The funny thing about the entire "controversy" is this: official bilingualism is one of the centerpieces of the Liberal view of Canada. Yet, so is multiculturalism.
Yet, bilingualism and multiculturalism are inherently contradictory. How can multi-culturalism (more than one culture, more yet than two) flourish under conditions when only two languages are recognized as "official" languages?
Preston Manning's fair language policy is a superior policy to bilingualism, as it pertains to multiculturalism. Ironically, it got him branded as racist (although if any of our liberal friends here would like to explain to me how that works, I'm all ears).