In an interview Monday with Postmedia News, Leo Housakos, who was appointed to the Senate by Prime Minister Stephen Harper in December 2008, acknowledged he took some heat from his Tory colleagues for going public with his concerns last week. But Housakos said he firmly believes that important symbols of bilingualism in the country should neither be neglected nor belittled.
"There are certain positions in the federal government that are so symbolic to what Canada is all about and I just believe they have to be filled by people who are functionally bilingual," Housakos said.
The comments come a few days after Harper's government confirmed the nomination of Michael Ferguson for a 10-year term as auditor general, the watchdog of spending in federal departments and agencies.
"I would equally find it unacceptable if we would name an auditor general who is unilingually francophone, and I think English Canadians who might find this issue blown out of proportion perhaps might be a little bit more sensitive to it if they had, for example, named a unilingual francophone auditor general."
Housakos, a businessman with a long history inside the Conservative party as well as its predecessors, the Canadian Alliance and Progressive Conservative parties, also reiterated his comments from an interview last week with Montreal newspaper La Presse, that he would have voted against the nomination if given the opportunity. He said he is particularly sensitive about defending bilingualism since he is part of a minority community in Quebec where the majority is francophone.
The official job description of the auditor general calls for a candidate who is fluently bilingual in both of Canada's official languages.
But Housakos did not point the finger at Harper, suggesting that the appointment was probably due to an oversight by the selection committee that was never discovered or corrected until it was too late.
"I know the prime minister is committed to bilingualism (and) I know the prime minister is committed to nation building," said Housakos. "If for one minute, I thought there was malice on the part of the prime minister or cabinet, I would be even more vocal than I am now."
Ferguson was given a rough ride during an appearance at parliamentary committee last week from opposition MPs who directly challenged and tested his level of French.
The federal Liberals, who boycotted a vote in Parliament about the nomination, have also suggested that they might challenge the appointment in court.
"We are consulting with constitutional experts and looking at all options with respect to opposing the nomination of the auditor general," said Liberal spokesman Dan Lauzon. "We feel the appointment is illegitimate, and have made no secret of that."
Canada's official languages legislation requires the federal government to protect the rights of minority English and French-speaking communities and provide a boost for bilingualism across the country.
But Housakos was skeptical about whether the Liberals could overturn the appointment, noting that he believed Harper had acted within the confines of the law.
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Source: Ottawa Citizen
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