Translation Bureau – Moving?
October 12, 2005
Citizen writer Kathryn May reported in an article that appeared on Sunday, October 2, that Minister Brison was still pondering plans to transfer jobs from the National Capital Region to other regions of Canada.
During a conversation about government services in the regions, Ms. May asked the Minister if he could confirm rumours about moving the Translation Bureau to New Brunswick. The Minister answered that he had asked for the question to be looked at, but no decision had been made.
The answer Ms. May received was the same one given in August by Mr. Brison to CAPE President José Aggrey. Mr Brison’s letter repeated the information provided to the President of CAPE, the President of the Translation Bureau Local, Luc Gervais, and the union’s Director of Professional Services, who had met in June with a special adviser from the Minister’s office to present CAPE’s objections to the move.
The renewed rumours about moving the Bureau seem to result mainly from the subject raised by Ms. May with the Minister.
CAPE works with, and has regular discussions with, the Translation Bureau, and our knowledge of the Bureau leads us to conclude that such a move cannot be justified.
Note that CAPE’s position on such a move is clear. The Association is opposed to uprooting its members and their families as part of a game of party politics played by the party in power, or in order to disperse even further a federal public service two thirds of which is already located in the regions.
Moving the Translation Bureau would have devastating results for hundreds of families. It would cost Canadian taxpayers millions of dollars, and generate additional operating costs for the Bureau. There would be negative economic consequences for the city of Gatineau, and Quebec would lose hundreds of jobs in a specialized professional sector. A move would precipitate the early retirement of scores, if not hundreds, of translators. It would aggravate the shortage of professional translators in the federal public service, and impair the quality of translation.
What about the new Language Technologies Research Centre planned for Gatineau, largely because that is where the largest pool of translators in the country is located?
By way of further confirmation that the Translation Bureau is not going anywhere, an article in the October 6 le Droit quotes Mauril Bélanger, Deputy Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister responsible for Official Languages, as saying;
“It is out of the question to accept that we will be moving complete departments. And I can confirm to you that the transfer of the Translation Bureau (of the Department of Public Works and Government Services) is not going to happen…” (unofficial translation)
October 12, 2005
Citizen writer Kathryn May reported in an article that appeared on Sunday, October 2, that Minister Brison was still pondering plans to transfer jobs from the National Capital Region to other regions of Canada.
During a conversation about government services in the regions, Ms. May asked the Minister if he could confirm rumours about moving the Translation Bureau to New Brunswick. The Minister answered that he had asked for the question to be looked at, but no decision had been made.
The answer Ms. May received was the same one given in August by Mr. Brison to CAPE President José Aggrey. Mr Brison’s letter repeated the information provided to the President of CAPE, the President of the Translation Bureau Local, Luc Gervais, and the union’s Director of Professional Services, who had met in June with a special adviser from the Minister’s office to present CAPE’s objections to the move.
The renewed rumours about moving the Bureau seem to result mainly from the subject raised by Ms. May with the Minister.
CAPE works with, and has regular discussions with, the Translation Bureau, and our knowledge of the Bureau leads us to conclude that such a move cannot be justified.
Note that CAPE’s position on such a move is clear. The Association is opposed to uprooting its members and their families as part of a game of party politics played by the party in power, or in order to disperse even further a federal public service two thirds of which is already located in the regions.
Moving the Translation Bureau would have devastating results for hundreds of families. It would cost Canadian taxpayers millions of dollars, and generate additional operating costs for the Bureau. There would be negative economic consequences for the city of Gatineau, and Quebec would lose hundreds of jobs in a specialized professional sector. A move would precipitate the early retirement of scores, if not hundreds, of translators. It would aggravate the shortage of professional translators in the federal public service, and impair the quality of translation.
What about the new Language Technologies Research Centre planned for Gatineau, largely because that is where the largest pool of translators in the country is located?
By way of further confirmation that the Translation Bureau is not going anywhere, an article in the October 6 le Droit quotes Mauril Bélanger, Deputy Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister responsible for Official Languages, as saying;
“It is out of the question to accept that we will be moving complete departments. And I can confirm to you that the transfer of the Translation Bureau (of the Department of Public Works and Government Services) is not going to happen…” (unofficial translation)