Duclos slams Tory MP who wanted English answer in Commons
Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter
peterblack@qctonline.com
Calling it “an insult to all francophone members of the House, including the Conservative members opposite,” Liberal MP for Québec and minister Jean-Yves Duclos demanded that a Tory MP apologize for asking him to answer a question in English.
The episode erupted during question period on Oct. 24, when Larry Brock, the MP for the Ontario riding of Brantford–Brant, asked Duclos, the minister of public services and procurement and Quebec political lieutenant, about contracts to a company he claimed were corrupt.
Duclos replied in French, saying, “I am going to say something in French that my colleague has already heard several times in English,” asserting that the auditor general and RCMP are independent and “doing their job” to investigate allegations about the contracts.
When Brock replied, saying, “My question is in English, but I digress,” there was an outburst in the House that Speaker Greg Fergus tried repeatedly to quell, reminding members, “It is a very important and basic fact here that questions can be asked in English or in French and that questions can be answered in English or in French.”
Conservative MP for Lévis–Lotbinière Jacques Gourde followed up Brock’s question with one in French, to which Duclos replied, “I want to congratulate my colleague on asking his question in French. He could have asked it in English because in the House we are free to speak either of the two official languages. I would like to invite his colleague [Brock] to apologize for asking me to answer his question in English.”
Afterwards, Duclos posted the video from the exchange on X, saying, “A francophone should never have to apologize for speaking French in Ottawa. I invite my opposition colleague to retract his statement, quickly.”
Fellow minister Pascale St-Onge reposted Duclos’ message, saying, “Bilingualism is a fundamental principle of our country. We have the right to express ourselves in the language of our choice. Disappointed, but not surprised that another Conservative MP has shown no regard for francophones.”
St-Onge was alluding to an incident in April when Tory MP Rachel Thomas asked the heritage minister to answer a question in English at a Parliamentary committee.
Brock issued an apology on X “for the comments I made dur- ing Question Period … Every member of Parliament has the right to express themselves in the official language of their choice and my comment was inappropriate.”
The Liberal Party of Canada followed up with its post on X: “Liberals will always de- fend bilingualism in Canada – whether the Conservatives like it or not.”