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Sorry Randall…I don’t see eye to eye with you on this one! For as long as Québec is in Canada…the future GG should be bilingual. The next GG should be able to address the Canadian residents in both official languages.
- ScruffI would suggest the only criteria for being GG is that the person should be “born” in Canada.
Some day we may even find a suitable first nations individual to fit the bill.
Gerry
- AnonymousRandell you have a good point why is it that if your not bilingual in Ottawa you cannot get any half decent employment in this city. It is not fair I have to consider moving so I can get a better job just because I,m not bilingual.This is BS,I have applied for and been more qualified for jobs but because I can,t speak fluent french it has been given to someone who can hardly speak english and doesn,t have as much experience as I but because they can speak french they get the job. There is something wrong with this. It frustrates me to no end it has always been one sided and until something is done the english sector of Ottawa is not able to get a government of even a good paying job, just because we don,t speak french. The last time I looked we are still in Ontario.Don,t get me wrong my family is french , I was born in France But I cannot carry on a conversation in french and because of this I can not get a good paying job in this city. It sucks.
- AnonymousI agree Randall, how can you judge a person just because they can or cannot speak french.They are pushing bilingualism way too much in this country, a qualified person should get the job weather they are english or frenchas long as they are a Canadian thats all that should count.
- AnonymousThank you Randall for having the fortitude to say what the majority of Canadians are thinking but too afraid to say. You’re completely right when you say that bilingualism should be a nice to have but not a mandatory requirement to for any position. Afterall, the MAJORITY of Canada is ENGLISH!
- AnonymousIsn’t the GG the representative of the Queen? I don’t know, but I have never heard her speak french.
- BJI’m going to have to Agree with Randall on this one.
- FarmboyAgain all my life i must bring up again that i was raised an English canadian,& because of that i’ve been discrimminated on & not being able to obtaun a decent job out of School because of this.
AS time went on I gradually learned a bit of french on my own,as well as spanish,german.
To most french,,its going to seem fair for the GG to be Bi & for most of the English its going to be a draw as well for English.
So if its going to be a Stalemate / draw,i’d go tp the country & the % of language spoken,,& i who have been clearly accross Canada more thab once,The French Language litterally Dissapears out of winnipeg & as ypou head into Cargary its rare & B.C. & in Okanogan Valley & all the way into Vancouver & Victoria its Not Heard at all.
I think you know my Point.
English is Good enough for me & the rest of the Majority of this English speaking Country,,i’m NOT Discriminating,,Its just a FACT !
“PLEASE NOTE THAT QUEBEC IS STILL PART OF CANADA AND REMEMBER THAT RANDALL IS REFERRING TO THE GG POSITION, SOMEONE WHO MUST REPRESENT ALL CANADIANS, INCLUDING QUÉBEC”
Why is there so much hate toward the French in this Country and vice versa? Residents from Québec have rights also, no? Maybe we should have our new GG French speaking only! What would the English say about this? C’mon, think about it…why are we trying to fuel the French-English issues once again. Just another stupid IGNORANT linguistic comment from Randall.
- ScruffCheers
Our country has TWO official languages. If somebody is gonna be the governor general of CANADA then they should know both. Us French people had to learn english no matter how we felt just so we could function in society. Is that fair? I’m forced to express my self in a language that is not the one I said my first words in. I take University classes in english because there is more choice. When I call my insurance company, Rogers or other such places I dont use the french option because these people dont actually speak french (well not french that I can understand anyways). People that speak both languages have made an extra effort to learn one of them. They are rewarded by having more jobs available to them. If your not happy with that you might want to move to the States. To you narrow minded individual I say Mange dla marde mon esti de tête carré!
- danielle_martel@hotmail.comBTW.: The Queen speaks French very well! I’m forever greatfull that Mom and Dad did all in their power to ensure that the children would be bilingual, because they knew back then that this would be an asset. They also educated us to respect and to be fair with anyone, French or English. Too bad many French and English Canadians didn’t get the same lessons!
- ScruffCheers
For those who say they’ve been discriminated against for being English ONLY or French ONLY…Deep down, you know that you can learn the other official language eh!
Too many English and French don’t make any efforts to learn the other official language…In my opinion, it’s your loss…Quit complaining and get on with it.
- scruff68@rogers.comWhy do we need a GG for any way? Are we not a independent country? It costs us about fifty million to keep the queen. This doesn’t count the cost for the GG and her LG’s security and housing. Just for the privilege to have her on are money and stamps. Most countries vote there heads of states into power. We should be a shame of are selves for not acting like a country. As for bilingual for the top jobs what are translators for?
- TrudeauI also am very tired of the French/bilingualism issue. In this country of choices, it should only be choice as to which language you use. The majority population in this country are English spoken. The international language of business is English. No position, employment or placement should be made to require two languages. The francophone population, for the most part have been raised with a mother tongue, in a mainly English speaking country. Bilingualism was easier to inherit. To go out and learn a second language (not prepaid by a government employer) is a very expensive endeavour. I feel the GG should be Canadian. No language demands attached. As being Canadian should be. The best person for the job, any job.
- AnonymousShould we remind everyone that being “bilingual” means fluent in 2 languages, not just English and French. I think the most important criteria should be that the GG is born in Canada and makes positive contributions to the country.
- AnonymousI think there is a more fundamental problem at hand in Canada: why is it that we can freely discuss and debate issues such as religion, sexual preference, health care, etc, all of which exist in an evolving society, but for some reason, bilingualism is a “don’t go there” sacred cow. Why? I’m tired of hearing the same rebuttal: “it’s because Canada has two official languages”. Why not discuss that a bit more? Why not discuss how nothing positive has ever come of that save for the one-billion dollar per year cost of continuing of what can only be described as a shotgun wedding. Why not discuss and debate the fact that bilingualism has little or no meaning in terms of demographic realities [with the genuine exception of New Brunswick] and is fundamentally a creation to serve political means. Why can’t that be said without someone being labelled a bigot? I’m sick and tired of the red herrings and smoke and mirrors surrounding this issue, and I’m tired of feeling like I have to whisper in hushed tones to “voice” an opinion.
- AnonymousWhat we have to keep in mind here is that we’re talking about majority rules. If the roles were reversed and french was the majority language, I know I wouldn’t have the ignorant attitude that some people display here. But hey I probably also wouldnt tolerate a pro-french party that compared my culture uprising to the nazis.
Tell you what, sign the Canadian constitution, maybe then people will stop thinking of you as a bunch of whining babies.
I believe that our international representative should reflect the majority of Canadians. Now the way things are going in this country, its becoming increasingly more difficult to find out which catagory people fit into. But for the moment, we all know who we are.
If we are to choose someone bilingual, whats stopping the other minorities in this country from being equally represented? I think we can all imagine what that person would have to be, and how ridiculous and confused we would look in the worlds eyes.
No smoke and mirrors here, and I definately dont whisper. Call me a bigot? Sure ok, I know I’m just a realist.
- Square HeadHey Randall, is your beef with bilingualism or with French? Somehow I doubt that in your ethnocentric mind you considered the possibility of an French only speaking GG!
Yves
- AnonymousRandall, I have to disagree on you with this one. The GG has the following duty: “The Canadian Governor General plays a strong role in encouraging excellence in Canada through a system of honours and awards such as the Order of Canada and promotes national identity and national unity.” By having an English only speaking GG, this would not promote the national identity of Canada nor promote unity. I’m French speaking, but would also disagree to having a French only speaking GG to represent us.
- AnonymousI Have to disagree as well Randal the GG has to be bilingual to be able to identify with the French and English speaking comunities. I do however dissagree that to get a govenment job you have to be binlingual. That is so unfair in Ottawa. I myself am an enlgish speaking individal but my mother is French but I grew up in an english speaking community so I never learned. I spent 20 years in the military speaking english only. Imagine for one second that what if the only way you could get into the military was to be bilingual, where would we be then. I love the french but somewhere we have to see what is fair and unfair.
- garyfarnswoth@hotmail.comRegardless of English or French, besides the fact that we really don’t need a GG, the GG should be a prominent Canadian born person. That person should be renowned for prominence, either at home or on a world stage. not receiving prominence while GG.
- BJDo we even need a GG? She supposedly represents us to the Queen? I thought Canada was its own country, not a subject of the “British Empire”.
Rob
- Anonymouswell i say why just french what about mohawk micmack cree i think its bs about this bilingual crap and im french this is a multi cultural countrey hmmm but its all about the french
- Anonymous