New Brunswick’s acting commissioner of official languages is disputing comments from politicians reacting to his recently released report.
In the report, Michel Carrier says nursing homes fall under the Official Languages Act and must offer service in the official language of a resident’s choice.
Carrier says his findings have been twisted by some into what he calls “fake news”.
“As a result of what I submitted some people said that I recommended that every nursing home worker be bilingual. That is the furthest thing from the truth, it is not even close,” stated Carrier.
Carrier is referring to comments made by the People’s Alliance of New Brunswick in a news release shortly after the report’s release.
“If this is implemented, it will remove unilingual frontline nursing home staff and administrators from nursing homes,” said leader Kris Austin.
Carrier says nursing homes should use the government practice of having working units with bilingual members.
“Not every civil servant in the province is bilingual, far from it. The government has found ways creating work units in order that the unit can provide the services in the language of choice of the citizen when needed,” said Carrier.
Carrier says he isn’t for immediate changes like some have suggested with the reaction.
“Find a way to live up to these obligations. If you can’t do them today at least you can have a strategic plan to do them later on. But that doesn’t entail in any way that everybody has to be bilingual, I mean, that’s foolishness,” stated Carrier.
Premier Blaine Higgs dismissed the recommendations made in Carrier’s report during a news conference Friday afternoon.
