Quebec forms 'action group' on French language to halt 'decline'

French action plan: a political strategy? Some say the Que. government's French protection group is a move to keep nationalist supporters on board.

The Francois Legault government announced it is forming an interdepartmental "action group" on the French language to find ways to halt the "decline" of the language in Quebec.

French Language Minister Jean-François Roberge made the announcement Friday morning on the sidelines of the pre-sessional caucus of the Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ) in Laval.

He was accompanied by his fellow ministers who will support him in this process, including Education Minister Bernard Drainville and Culture and Communications Minister Mathieu Lacombe.

The government believes that there is an "urgent need to act" to halt the decline of the French language, and the group will have to propose an "ambitious plan" to remedy this.

This plan must be tabled in the autumn of 2023.

However, Roberge ruled out the possibility of extending Bill 101 to colleges, saying that the issue is already closed.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Jan. 27, 2023.