The Canadian Association of Professional Employees (CAPE) is marking International Translation Day, September 30, by highlighting the important work of translators, interpreters and terminologists in the federal public service while pressing the Carney government to reverse the damage it has caused to Canada’s bilingualism.
These calls were echoed by Bloc Québécois Whip Yves Perron on Friday, who delivered a statement in the House of Commons (video, transcript) honouring the work of federal language experts and urging the prime minister to stop paying lip service to the French language while dismantling services across the government.
“Let us face it. Most of the discussions and documents that come out of this Parliament are in English,” said Perron in his statement. “We cannot use French as a shield against Donald Trump and then turn around and regard it as an unnecessary expense that needs to be cut. While being a useful tool, artificial intelligence can never replace human judgment and a nuanced understanding of human language. We will not attract the next generation of talent by allowing people's working conditions to deteriorate. A strong internal capacity within the public service is essential to preserving French.”
Federal language workers ensure that all Canadians have access to reliable and accurate information and services in the language of their choice. The Carney government, however, has consistently taken actions that are degrading the French language.
The Translation Bureau’s plans to cut 25 per cent of its workforce over five years – while increasing workloads and relying solely on AI without the oversight of qualified translators – is putting Canada’s official languages, especially French, at risk. Yet the Translation Bureau continues to force translators to cut corners in the name of “good enough.”
“French cannot be a shield Carney raises against Trump, only to lower it when no one is looking. Here’s the reality: last year, the Translation Bureau announced plans to cut its workforce by 25 per cent over five years. That means fewer language experts, heavier workloads and more pressure to settle for ‘good enough,’” said Antoine Hersberger, CAPE vice-president for the Translation Group. “The federal public service plays a leading role in promoting, protecting and advancing Canada’s official languages. Parliamentary translators, interpreters and terminologists are indispensable to our democracy and to francophones’ ability to participate fully in it. Protecting French means investing in the people who make those rights a reality.”
More than 90 per cent of translations in the federal government are done from English to French. Consequently, when the quality of translations declines, it is francophones who feel the impacts. The result is a two-tier system by degrading the language services francophones depend on to access public services and Canada’s democratic institutions in their own language.
CAPE is calling on the Carney government to reverse its cuts and instead invest in the federal language professionals who protect Canada’s French language and culture, safeguard their jobs, and ensure safe working conditions and sustainable workloads.
The federal Translation Group, comprised of 900 translators, interpreters and terminologists represented by CAPE, will head to the bargaining table this October. Their last collective agreement expired in April.
