Official languages in the Public Service : Langues officielles dans la fonction publique : de 1973 à aujourd'hui

A. The 1973 Resolution In June 1973, Parliament passed the Parliamentary Resolution on Official Languages in the Public Service (hereafter, the “1973 Resolution”), which reiterated the principles of the 1969 OLA and confirmed the right of public servants to work in the official language of their choice, subject to certain conditions. [...] The intent of the resolution, which provided for the language designation of public service positions, was to increase the use of the French language at all levels of the public service through an intensified recruitment effort, the provision of French- language training programs and the development of projects designed to enhance bilingualism in the National Capital Region. [...] It mentioned the need to provide employees with work instruments in both languages, to encourage the full participation of Francophone and Anglophone communities in the public service, and to clarify the difference between public servants’ freedom to communicate with their colleagues in the official language of their choice, and their responsibilities in terms of service to the public. [...] The D’Avignon Committee did not specifically discuss the impact of its recommendations on the implementation of the Official Languages Policy in the public service, despite a brief submitted by the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages (OCOL). [...] The Commissioner’s study found that the choice of language of work depended on the readiness of managers and employees to improve the situation, and on the creation of an environment that encouraged employees to work in their own language.(10) Contrary to the provisions of the 1977 guidelines, the special provisions with respect to conditional appointments, basic language training and the bilingua