Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

4. Support of official language speakers in the public service

The Government of Canada has committed to preserving, promoting and revitalizing Indigenous languages in Canada (Indigenous Languages Act, 2019). Supporting the efforts of Indigenous peoples to reclaim, revitalize, maintain and strengthen Indigenous languages also responds to Calls to Action 13, 14 and 15 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. Keeping Indigenous languages alive contributes to implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Specifically, Article 13 recognizes the right of Indigenous peoples to revitalize, use, develop and transmit their languages and traditions to future generations and indicates that states should take adequate measures to ensure these rights are protected.

The government's duty to protect language rights extends to its role as an employer of over 6,300 public servants. However, current efforts appear modest. In 2021-2022, only 340 employees, or 5 percent of the workforce, received a bilingual bonus. The bonuses were worth only $560,000, or 0.1 percent of total human resource costs. The government also gives an allowance to teachers using an Indigenous official language, but it has decreased from 105 teachers getting the allowance in 2010 to fewer than 40 teachers receiving it now.

In the spirit of reconciliation, it is imperative that the Government of the Northwest Territories steps up and does much more as an employer. After all, the loss of Indigenous languages in this country directly relates to residential schools.

The public service must support Indigenous language speakers proactively. The employer should be responsible for identifying and supporting employees who want to learn the language of their heritage and culture rather than demanding Indigenous persons achieve and prove bilingual proficiency in an independent path. Departments and agencies should prepare an annual action plan to support and grow the official Indigenous languages. The plans should include funding, targets, and regular reporting. Committee recommends:

Recommendation 9: That each department and agency be required to have an annual official languages action plan to improve and revitalize the language skills of its Indigenous employees.

The plans should identify objectives, actions, performance measures, and multi-year targets. The plans should be supported by an updated bilingual designation policy creating a new category of bonuses for Indigenous employees learning to speak an official Indigenous language. Each department and agency should be responsible for identifying Indigenous employees wanting to learn the Indigenous language of their heritage and culture, helping identify access to learning opportunities, providing financial support, and assisting access to language proficiency assessments where available.

Recommendation 10: That each department and agency be required to create an individual language training account for each person. The account should guarantee each Indigenous employee a minimum number of hours of language training, in any Indigenous official language, as a first or second language.

Recommendation 11: That the Department of Finance set up an Indigenous languages revitalization fund to support Indigenous employees in the effort to reclaim, revitalize, maintain and strengthen their languages.

I'd like to now turn it over to the Member for Yellowknife North. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.