Some say that being bilingual doesn't really matter to the job of Auditor-General. Maybe they do not need to be fluently bilingual, but a good knowledge of both languages should be a prerequisite. But, if the Conservatives are going to ignore the condition of being bilingual, then they should full out just say it publicly instead of lying.
I do not agree with the Liberal response to the government. The NDP had the right one. To walk seems like a desperate act to get attention and it does come off as one. If the decision isn't right then the job of the opposition is to show up in Parliament and vote against it, not to abandon its responsibilities as the Liberals did.
Bob Rae and his Liberal MPs boycotted a Commons vote that approved a unilingual accountant, Michael Ferguson, to serve as Canada’s new Auditor-General.
While Conservative and NDP MPs stood in the House, the real action was taking place outside the chamber, where an angry Interim Liberal Leader condemned the process as an “abuse” and “illegitimate.”Read more at the Globe and Mail.
Process? What process? The Conservatives choose what they want, and to hell with any process. The problem isn't the language issue itself (though Libs and Cons are using that to play to their respective bases) but that the federal job posting had certain requirements attached to it.
ReplyDeleteIf you can't find anyone that meets all of them, then maybe adjust the requirements, and post the job again. Don't just go with the one guy that somehow knew his application would be accepted even though he wasn't qualified for the job as posted.
As to the language issue itself, what if a Liberal government did the same thing, but with a French unilingual Auditor General candidate, that also just somehow knew to apply anyways?
If you read my post, Anon, you'll find that I agree with you.
ReplyDeleteEither admit that bilingualism is not a condition or choose someone bilingual.