Mouvement Quebec francais irked at Elections Canada 'bonjour, hello' policy

Trudeau responds to bonjour-hi controversy Liberal leader Justin Trudeau said he will always defend both official languages in Canada, and is curious how the CAQ will proceed.

MONTREAL -- The Elections Canada policy of greeting voters with, "bonjour, hello" has raised the ire of the Mouvement Quebec français (MQF), which called the policy "unacceptable."

Elections Canada regional media relations director Pierre Pilon said it is standard procedure for Service Canada employees to great citizens in both official languages.

"It's not any different from any other service in Canada," he said.

Pilon would expect an election clerk in Saskatoon to greet voters Oct. 21 in the same way as one would in Lac Saint-Jean.

The Deputy Returning Officer & Poll Clerk Guidebook says that when an elector arrives clerks must "Greet elector by saying, 'Hello, bonjour'" and then ask for their identification.

Pilon said the directive was the same in 2015.

"Elections Canada is sorely lacking in respect to the people of Quebec who wish to see the status of their official language, French, advanced in public spaces rather than regress," said MQF president Maxime Laporte.

Laporte is calling on Chief Electoral Officer Stephane Perrault to change the policy.

Pilon said changing the policy would include changing the federal elections legislation.