adplus-dvertising
Connect with us

Politics

Bilingualism in Parliament threatened by unaccredited, off-site hires: translators

Published

 on

OTTAWA — Parliament Hill translators are crying foul over a House of Commons move to stave off “massive” worker shortages by hiring unaccredited, off-site interpreters.

The quality of bilingual interpretation is under major threat, says an international group that represents the translators — and Conservatives are raising concerns over the security of confidential meetings.

But government House leader Mark Holland maintains that there are huge gaps in service, and bringing in outside help is crucial to keeping parliamentary business on track.

A six-month pilot project kicked off in June to test out remote translation services amid what Public Services and Procurement Canada called a worldwide shortage of interpreters.

At the end of that month, the department’s translation bureau told the International Association of Conference Interpreters, which represents parliamentary interpreters, that it was seeking “external resources.” The move is expected to affect those translating English and French.

That’s when the alarm bells went off for the organization’s advocacy lead, Nicole Gagnon.

Gagnon said she was told that “external” meant “non-accredited” — an “unprecedented” shift that makes the group “very concerned” about the quality of bilingualism across the federal government.

“The parliamentarians have come to count on the quality of our services,” Gagnon said in an interview. “There’s a relationship of trust there. They know when they speak in English, their words will be interpreted faithfully in French and vice versa.”

Opposition House leader John Brassard said there could be security risks around moving interpretation off-site, and questioned whether third-party interpreters are being vetted thoroughly enough.

Brassard said if an interpreter without proper security clearance attended a meeting that moved in camera, those confidential discussions may not be secure.

He also said the pandemic-era hybrid Parliament has caused interpreters to sustain workplace injuries, making worker shortages even worse.

Translators have reported suffering from injuries that range from tinnitus, which causes ringing in the ears, to headaches, nausea and “acoustic shock” after months of translating parliamentarians online via fuzzy laptop mics and poor internet connections.

But Holland said the translator shortage predates COVID-19.

“As the number of committees expand, as work of the House expands, this is becoming a very significant inhibitor to the House doing its business,” he said.

“There is a very significant amount of work that is unable to be done. This isn’t some tinkering of schedules. This is a massive hole in the business of the House.”

The board of internal economy, an all-party governing committee of House leaders and other MPs that makes financial and administrative decisions about the House of Commons, consulted with staff about how to fix the problem, Holland said.

Alexandra Maheux, a spokeswoman for Holland, did not address the security issue raised by Brassard. She noted that Brassard is also a member of the board of internal economy. Brassard took part in the May 19 meeting where the board decided to approve the pilot project, according to the publicly available minutes, although discussions took place behind closed doors.

Since early in the pandemic, the House of Commons adapted its schedule so committee meetings could take place over the full work week (rather than over four days), a spokesperson for the House administration said.

The administration has also addressed sound issues proactively or when they arise, and has conducted testing of remote audio quality to ensure it meets “current industry best practices,” the spokesperson added.

But with the federal government unable to meet translation demand with “current resources,” it landed on the pilot program to bring in outside help.

The House spokesperson said it is asking other interpretation service providers for “fully qualified” interpreters, with requisite “accreditation, qualifications and experience,” to support existing staff.

The May 19 meeting minutes also show the board of internal economy agreed that the House administration should still prefer translation bureau employees or freelancers, when they are available, over outside or remote interpretation services.

Still, Gagnon worries that the existing accreditation process could be broken or diluted if those workers are not held to the same standard.

She said her organization is failing to get traction on other proposed solutions, such as an electronic calendar that would allow fully accredited freelancers to share their availability, or further widening the window during which committee meetings can be held.

The House administration is expected to provide the board of internal economy with an interim report on the pilot project in September.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 27, 2022.

This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta and Canadian Press News Fellowship.

 

Erika Ibrahim, The Canadian Press

Politics

Youri Chassin quits CAQ to sit as Independent, second member to leave this month

Published

 on

 

Quebec legislature member Youri Chassin has announced he’s leaving the Coalition Avenir Québec government to sit as an Independent.

He announced the decision shortly after writing an open letter criticizing Premier François Legault’s government for abandoning its principles of smaller government.

In the letter published in Le Journal de Montréal and Le Journal de Québec, Chassin accused the party of falling back on what he called the old formula of throwing money at problems instead of looking to do things differently.

Chassin says public services are more fragile than ever, despite rising spending that pushed the province to a record $11-billion deficit projected in the last budget.

He is the second CAQ member to leave the party in a little more than one week, after economy and energy minister Pierre Fitzgibbon announced Sept. 4 he would leave because he lost motivation to do his job.

Chassin says he has no intention of joining another party and will instead sit as an Independent until the end of his term.

He has represented the Saint-Jérôme riding since the CAQ rose to power in 2018, but has not served in cabinet.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

Source link

Continue Reading

Politics

‘I’m not going to listen to you’: Singh responds to Poilievre’s vote challenge

Published

 on

 

MONTREAL – NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says he will not be taking advice from Pierre Poilievre after the Conservative leader challenged him to bring down government.

“I say directly to Pierre Poilievre: I’m not going to listen to you,” said Singh on Wednesday, accusing Poilievre of wanting to take away dental-care coverage from Canadians, among other things.

“I’m not going to listen to your advice. You want to destroy people’s lives, I want to build up a brighter future.”

Earlier in the day, Poilievre challenged Singh to commit to voting non-confidence in the government, saying his party will force a vote in the House of Commons “at the earliest possibly opportunity.”

“I’m asking Jagmeet Singh and the NDP to commit unequivocally before Monday’s byelections: will they vote non-confidence to bring down the costly coalition and trigger a carbon tax election, or will Jagmeet Singh sell out Canadians again?” Poilievre said.

“It’s put up or shut up time for the NDP.”

While Singh rejected the idea he would ever listen to Poilievre, he did not say how the NDP would vote on a non-confidence motion.

“I’ve said on any vote, we’re going to look at the vote and we’ll make our decision. I’m not going to say our decision ahead of time,” he said.

Singh’s top adviser said on Tuesday the NDP leader is not particularly eager to trigger an election, even as the Conservatives challenge him to do just that.

Anne McGrath, Singh’s principal secretary, says there will be more volatility in Parliament and the odds of an early election have risen.

“I don’t think he is anxious to launch one, or chomping at the bit to have one, but it can happen,” she said in an interview.

New Democrat MPs are in a second day of meetings in Montreal as they nail down a plan for how to navigate the minority Parliament this fall.

The caucus retreat comes one week after Singh announced the party has left the supply-and-confidence agreement with the governing Liberals.

It’s also taking place in the very city where New Democrats are hoping to pick up a seat on Monday, when voters go to the polls in Montreal’s LaSalle—Émard—Verdun. A second byelection is being held that day in the Winnipeg riding of Elmwood—Transcona, where the NDP is hoping to hold onto a seat the Conservatives are also vying for.

While New Democrats are seeking to distance themselves from the Liberals, they don’t appear ready to trigger a general election.

Singh signalled on Tuesday that he will have more to say Wednesday about the party’s strategy for the upcoming sitting.

He is hoping to convince Canadians that his party can defeat the federal Conservatives, who have been riding high in the polls over the last year.

Singh has attacked Poilievre as someone who would bring back Harper-style cuts to programs that Canadians rely on, including the national dental-care program that was part of the supply-and-confidence agreement.

The Canadian Press has asked Poilievre’s office whether the Conservative leader intends to keep the program in place, if he forms government after the next election.

With the return of Parliament just days away, the NDP is also keeping in mind how other parties will look to capitalize on the new makeup of the House of Commons.

The Bloc Québécois has already indicated that it’s written up a list of demands for the Liberals in exchange for support on votes.

The next federal election must take place by October 2025 at the latest.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

Source link

Continue Reading

Politics

Social media comments blocked: Montreal mayor says she won’t accept vulgar slurs

Published

 on

 

Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante is defending her decision to turn off comments on her social media accounts — with an announcement on social media.

She posted screenshots to X this morning of vulgar names she’s been called on the platform, and says comments on her posts for months have been dominated by insults, to the point that she decided to block them.

Montreal’s Opposition leader and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association have criticized Plante for limiting freedom of expression by restricting comments on her X and Instagram accounts.

They say elected officials who use social media should be willing to hear from constituents on those platforms.

However, Plante says some people may believe there is a fundamental right to call someone offensive names and to normalize violence online, but she disagrees.

Her statement on X is closed to comments.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

Source link

Continue Reading

Trending