The Treasury Department has rejected an idea put forward by some Aboriginal civil servants to offer a “blanket exemption” from having to learn both of Canada’s official languages.
A briefing note released to the Canadian Press under Federal Access to Information since last fall shows that senior officials are deliberating calls for waivers from some members of the Indigenous Commonwealth Employee Network.
Senior officials flagged “rising tensions” between indigenous languages and the official languages of French and English for some indigenous employees.
Possible solutions proposed in the memo include providing indigenous language training to both indigenous and non-indigenous civil servants, and potential exemptions if someone can speak an indigenous language. It is included.
In a statement, Finance Canada’s Secretariat said it is working with partners to explore options for addressing the barriers that civil servants face in advancing their careers, but “from the official language There is no one blanket exemption for
A spokeswoman said the government “will never change its principle of bilingualism in public service.”
Stephanie Taylor and Michelle Saba
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