Trudeau to meet with federal party leaders to express support for French Canadians following Ford cuts

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will meet with the leaders of the other four major federal political parties on Wednesday to discuss what can be done to support French Canadians following the recent cuts to Ontario Premier Doug Ford.

The session was mentioned in Trudeau's daily report, which only indicated that the Prime Minister was meeting to discuss the "problems of the Canadian Francophonie" with Jagmeet Singh of the NDP, Elizabeth May of the Green Party, Andrew Scheer of the Conservatives and the leader interim Bloc Québécois, Mario Beaulieu.

A senior government official told the CBC that the Wednesday afternoon meeting was held in response to cuts made by the Ford government to certain French-language services in Ontario.

In its fall economic update, the Ford government announced the cancellation of a construction project from a long-awaited francophone university in Toronto and the removal of the commissioner position French-language services.

Last week, after much criticism, Ford retreated to some extent, clinging to its decision to cancel the Francophone university but reinstating the position of French Language Services Commissioner under the province's ombudsman.

He also appointed Attorney General Caroline Mulroney as Minister of Francophone Affairs and announced the hiring of a Senior Policy Advisor for Francophone Affairs.

The Trudeau meeting will also address the concerns of Francophones in other provinces, including New Brunswick, Canada's only officially bilingual province, where the new Progressive Conservative government has only one elected francophone member.

Give a hand

Following Ford's cuts, some critics have criticized Scheer himself for not condemning them quickly or demanding that they be reversed.

On Monday morning, Scheer's office sent a letter to Trudeau requesting an urgent meeting to discuss the issue.

The Prime Minister's office welcomed this idea, according to the government official, and invited other party leaders to participate as well.

The official also pointed out that Prime Minister Trudeau's cabinet had taken the party to contact the opposition in the past, most recently on the renegotiation of NAFTA and the imposition of US tariffs on goods. and Canadian resources.

Elizabeth May, of the Green Party, said that her policy has always been the same: when a prime minister asks for help, she is happy to lend a hand, as she has made when she responded to a similar call in favor of former Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

"I am very concerned about what Ford has threatened to do for the rights of Franco-Ontarians," she said. "I am pleased to offer any badistance or advice required in the circumstances to protect the rights of minorities."