On September 22, CAPE Vice-President Antoine Hersberger met with two Bloc Québécois members of Parliament to advance the union’s priorities for interpreters and translators. The discussion highlighted both the urgency of the challenges facing these professionals and the strong value MPs place on the expertise of CAPE members.
Interpreters’ health and safety
Parliament’s hybrid setting continues to take a toll on interpreters. Poor sound quality, heavy cognitive demands, and constant distractions are making it harder to deliver accurate interpretation and uphold the Official Languages Act. Health and safety are also at risk. In December 2024, Dr. Josée Lagacé, a University of Ottawa professor, released a report on the auditory health of interpreters, showing that hybrid interpretation negatively affects their hearing.
CAPE called on the MPs to push the Board of Internal Economy for real solutions, including a four-hour cap on hybrid shifts, regular hearing-health checks, and continued independent research to protect interpreter health and safety.
Translation Bureau
The Translation Bureau is in crisis. Cuts and attrition could shrink its workforce by 25 per cent within five years, leaving fewer people to handle more work; a situation that puts both members’ health and service quality at risk.
Relying on artificial intelligence is making things worse, especially for francophones. While most English texts in government are written directly in English, French texts are increasingly downgraded to machine-generated output. The situation is especially clear for the Debates division team responsible for translating the Hansard, the official parliamentary transcripts, where small teams work exhausting 12-hour night shifts and produce up to 7,000 words a day, with obvious impacts on their well-being and the quality of records.
During the meeting, CAPE reminded the MPs that the root of the problem goes back to the 1990s, when the Liberal government made the Translation Bureau services optional, and were urged to investigate ways to restore permanent funding and make the Bureau’s services mandatory for all federal ministries.
CAPE will continue to push the Bloc Québécois – and all parties – for stronger protections and proper funding for interpreters and translators.
