N.B. language commissioner apologizes for errors in annual report

Official languages office apologizes for errors Annual report didn't correctly detail the origin or quantity of language-based complaints. Jessica Ng reports.

The office of official languages for New Brunswick is apologizing for errors in its annual report.

Michel Carrier, the province's acting commissioner of official languages, says the annual report he released Friday contains several mistakes.

It didn't correctly detail the origin of language-based complaints or the quantity.

"There was an error in our grid, our complaints grid, as a result of what we have discovered to be a coding error in our case management system," said Carrier.

At the time of publication, the total number of complaints lodged against provincial services was 90.

Today, carrier says the real number is 89, with several complaints mislabeled.

"If we had discovered it last week, I wouldn't be having this conversation with you, and some people wouldn't be embarrassed, including myself," Carrier said.

Carrier attributes the errors to the system's confusion over acronyms for Elections New Brunswick and the executive council office (ECO).

Organizations that were named in the report as having received a complaint against them in 2018-2019 aren't satisfied with the office's apology.

"Transparency and accountability come with making complaints and making the data available," said Chris Hood, the president of the Paramedic Association of New Brunswick.

Hood says several complaints were filed against Ambulance NB and his association.

Hood says the way complaints are reported back to organizations doesn't provide enough detail to be useful.

"You're really somewhat handcuffed from a continuous quality improvement process," Hood says.

Carrier says he understands the frustration.

"Look, they have a right to be upset," Carrier said. "We're upset. We can only do our job if we have trust and credibility."

He says steps are in place to ensure errors like this don't happen again.