Non, oui? Quebec college won't play language police for the province

Quebec’s regulator for physicians and surgeons has flat-out refused to act as a language police to its members, as the province seeks to upgrade its French-language charter. “The perception of the public and the members was that we were often the police,” Dr. Mauril Gaudreault, president of the Collège des médecins du Québec, said last week amid public hearings of Bill 96. “This perception I have worked a lot to change. It is not true that we will once again become the police for the use of the French language." Of particular concern to the college—and to many doctors in Quebec—is a clause in the proposed charter that deems failure to master French an “act derogatory to the dignity of the profession.” Within Quebec’s professional code, a professional commits a derogatory act when it abuses relationships with patients or clients by having sexual relations with them, or acts or speaks in a sexual manner towards them. The code also considers derogatory any actions that involve collusion, corruption, embezzlement, breach of trust or influence-peddling. Read: Racialized healthcare workers claim systemic racism in Montreal health authority “We think (Bill 96) goes too far,” said Dr. Gaudreault. “It is not true that the inadequate use of the French language is going to be put on the same footing as a doctor involved in corruption or who has committed acts of a sexual nature.” Dr. Gaudrault said he agrees that Francophones must be served in their language everywhere in Quebec, including in English-speaking communities, and pointed out that the current charter already states that “professional orders can only issue permits to persons who have the official language knowledge appropriate to the practice of their profession.” A problem is that the orders or regulators for the various professions do not have the resources to monitor their members’ continued fluency in French throughout their career, as they would be required to do under the proposed reform. "Even if we wanted to verify that all physicians have an adequate use of French, the professional order simply does not have the material, human and financial resources to do so," says Dr. Gaudreault. Another organization should be tasked with this responsibility, he added. He also suggested the government implement “support for professionals so they can recover an appropriate use of the French language while maintaining their right to practice when the safety and quality of care is not at stake.” Read: Pay differentials between specialties a 'priority file' says Quebec specialists group

Non, oui? Quebec college won't play language police for the province

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