In the name of language rights, the federal government is trampling on the career prospects of thousands of public service employees. Why? Because they have the misfortune of not speaking advanced French.

Discriminatory though it may be, that’s the new direction at the Treasury Board of Canada, which will be requiring all new supervisors in bilingual regions (including Ottawa, where much of the public service is based) to speak official languages at a “superior” level in June 2025. Currently, supervisors in bilingual zones must speak their second official language at an “intermediate” level.