Ontario PC MPP Simard continues to call for resistance from Franco-Ontarians
Simard broke ranks with her party this week, denouncing cuts to French-language services
Despite the Ontario Progressive Conservative government announcing the restoration of the French-language services commissioner, one MPP is still calling for resistance from Franco-Ontarians.
Amanda Simard, who represents Glengarry-Prescott-Russell, tweeted a letter signed by more than 100 francophone and francophile lawyers, accompanied by a call for continued resistance.
Résistons. <a href="https://t.co/co7ba4sWgN">pic.twitter.com/co7ba4sWgN</a>
—@ASimardLThe letter, which was addressed to Simard, praised her for taking a stance against her own party in the wake of last week's fall fiscal update, which included measures to cut the office of the language commissioner and pull funds from a planned French-language university in Toronto.
"Your opposition to these two measures, and your attempt to influence the position of the premier, as well as any other action you are going to take, demonstrates a strong commitment to Franco-Ontarians that we share with you," the letter reads, in French.
Simard broke ranks with her party earlier this week, denouncing the cuts in a post to her Facebook page.
Premier Doug Ford partially reversed his government's decision on the language commissioner on Friday.
The government initially planned to fold the language commissioner's responsibilities into the office of the provincial ombudsman. In Friday's announcement, the premier vowed to instead maintain the language commissioner within the ombudsman's office.
Ford also promised to turn the Office of Francophone Affairs into a ministry, with Caroline Mulroney taking on the role of minister of francophone affairs. Ford also said his office would hire a senior policy adviser responsible for francophone affairs.
Despite those concessions, the government will not restore funding for the French-language university.
Simard is not the only one who wants to keep up the pressure on the government. The Francophone Assembly of Ontario (AFO), an organization that represents more than 740,000 francophones in the province, said Friday the concessions are not enough and it will go ahead with protests planned for Dec. 1.
With files from Radio-Canada