The Bloc Québécois is spreading “nonsense” about the anglicization of Quebec, said Marc Miller, the federal Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister of Official Languages. “Without denying that anglophones have rights in Quebec, it is clear that the MP opposite is spouting nonsense, and I do not wish to ‘dignify’ that with a response,” he said on Thursday during question period in Ottawa. Miller had just been challenged by the Bloc Québécois spokesperson on official languages, Mario Beaulieu, who noted that the federal government has spent “over $2.4 billion to strengthen English in Quebec since 1995.” “Billions to anglicize Quebec over the last 30 years, and it continues every year,” he said. “Look no further to understand why Michael Rousseau has managed to spend his life in Quebec without speaking a word of French.” According to Beaulieu, the Liberals must realize that “there are plenty of Michael Rousseaus in Quebec,” which is, he says, “largely their fault.” This was the third consecutive question in which Bloc members mocked Prime Minister Mark Carney’s statement that he was “disappointed” by Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau, arguing that the Liberals are in no position to say such a thing. Rousseau has been at the centre of a controversy since the start of the week for having spoken only in English in his message of condolence following the accident at LaGuardia Airport in New York, which claimed the lives of two pilots, one of whom was a French-speaking Quebecer. When questioned as he was leaving the House of Commons, Miller criticized the Bloc for “capitalizing politically” on the tragedy. “What Mr. Rousseau did is serious. He should have spoken in French. I think he needs to do some soul-searching,” he said initially. “But to go so far as to accuse the Carney government, even Mark Carney (...), the Government of Canada, of being responsible for the fact that Mr. Rousseau cannot speak in (French), is utter nonsense.” As for the Bloc’s figure on the sums spent promoting English in Quebec, Miller considers it “ridiculous.” The figure of $2.4 billion is the result of a compilation drawn up by the Bloc after combing through the public accounts to determine how much federal funding has been paid to official language minority communities in Quebec — in other words, to anglophones. However, Miller said that the federal government supports French outside Quebec through the $4 billion Action Plan for Official Languages announced in recent years. And that, in the context of its relationship with the Quebec government on immigration, Ottawa provides the province with almost a billion dollars a year for francization. This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on March 26, 2026.
