The new French Language Services Act, introduced today in the Legislative Assembly, is an important milestone in fulfilling government’s commitment to the Acadian and Francophone community, says Premier Robert Ghiz, Minister responsible for Acadian and Francophone Affairs.
“After careful review, government committed in 2010 to drafting and introducing a new French Language Services Act in order to better serve French-speaking Islanders,” said Premier Ghiz. “We worked diligently with community representatives, our legal consultant and our internal partners to come up with the best possible legislation for Prince Edward Island.”
The new act builds on the existing legislation and lays the foundation for the designation of French language services. Initial designation will be based on existing services and best practices. The act will also allow for aligning the service priorities of the community and government’s capacity to deliver services in response to those needs.
“We are quite pleased to see government’s commitment come to fruition today,” said Colleen Soltermann, Chair of the Acadian and Francophone Community Advisory Committee. “We are also pleased with how government actively engaged all its partners such as our Committee. We believe the new act will serve both the community and the province for years to come.”