HillNote
The Official Languages (Communications with and Services to the Public) Regulations (the Regulations) establish the criteria for designating which federal offices and points of service must offer services in both official languages. In the fall of 2016, the federal government took steps to address criticism of the Regulations. It consulted various stakeholders, including an Experts’ Advisory Group, to provide guidance on the government’s revision of the Regulations. In October 2018, the then Treasury Board President, the Honourable Scott Brison, tabled draft Regulations in Parliament. They were subsequently published without amendment in the Canada Gazette in January 2019, despite the fact that the Commissioner of Official Languages, Raymond Théberge, had identified shortcomings. The final version of the Regulations was passed with amendment in June 2019 taking into account some of the comments expressed by the stakeholders consulted, and published in the Canada Gazette in July 2019.