• About
  • Join/Donate
  • Contact
Monday, April 19, 2021
  • Login
No Result
View All Result
The Brief
NB MEDIA CO-OP
Share a story
  • New Brunswick
  • Canada
  • World
  • Environment
  • Indigenous
  • Labour
  • Gender
  • Politics
  • Arts & Culture
  • Videos
  • COVID-19
  • New Brunswick
  • Canada
  • World
  • Environment
  • Indigenous
  • Labour
  • Gender
  • Politics
  • Arts & Culture
  • Videos
  • COVID-19
No Result
View All Result
NB MEDIA CO-OP
No Result
View All Result
Home *Opinion*

“We sink together, we swim together:” An Anglophone perspective on anti-duality rhetoric

by Tabatha Armstrong
October 10, 2018
Reading Time: 3min read

Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

Since its inception eight years ago, the People’s Alliance has often led the perpetuation of anti-Francophone rhetoric hidden behind criticisms of “duality” and official bilingualism in New Brunswick. Usually these comments are chalked up to some sort of Francophone conspiracy, bolstered by the Official Languages Act of NB and its Commissioner, to oppress the English majority, force their children to learn French, and “take all the jobs from good English folks!” Like most arguments that cast the blame for perceived misfortunes on one group ahead of another, these claims don’t match up very well with facts or reality.

Some of these messages talk about “poor Anglos not getting work because they don’t speak French.” While the unemployment rate for all New Brunswickers tends to be higher than the national average, the unemployment rate for Francophones in New Brunswick is actually higher than that of Anglophones. In 2016, the unemployment rate for Francophones in the province was 12.4% versus 10.4% for Anglophones. This trend has been in place for decades. (For the record, the unemployment rate across New Brunswick is now around 7.5%, a marked decrease but still higher than the national average.)

Another absurd claim that is sometimes trotted out by anti-duality advocates is that Francophones make up the majority (some 85% supposedly!) of public sector jobs in New Brunswick despite only making up about 30% of the population. Well, unsurprisingly, this is simply not true either. Francophones make up around 43% of public sector jobs with variation among different sectors. That’s nowhere close to the 85% I hear bandied about along with hateful stereotyping of Acadians. Even so, there’s a pretty obvious reason for that discrepancy. We are a bilingual province which necessitates bilingual service provision in our public sector. Francophones are historically much more likely to be functionally bilingual because they are essentially forced to learn English to obtain employment and function in a predominantly English province and North American society. A 2017-18 Annual Report from the Commissioner of Official Languages for New Brunswick counted approximately 250,000 bilingual residents. Of these, two thirds are Francophones who speak both English and French and 72% of New Brunswick’s Francophone population are bilingual. Despite this, the main language of work in the public sector is still English with 90% of workers speaking English at work compared to about 36.7% speaking French.

Francophones aren’t getting these public sector jobs because they speak French, they are getting the jobs because they speak ENGLISH – and they speak and write both languages well! There is absolutely nothing in New Brunswick legislation or society that forces Anglophones to learn French. The majority of public sector workers are still Anglophones (around 57% – some of whom are bilingual by choice, and a good chunk of whom are unilingual Anglophones).

All of this is a sad case of low-income people in a poor province being manipulated into blaming an equally low-income (if not more so in northern parts of the province) linguistic and cultural minority for their problems. It’s fear, insecurity, and lack of social infrastructure fueling bigotry, scapegoating, and hate.

There are lots of things to be upset about in New Brunswick. We should be working to stop the spraying of glyphosate, a known probable carcinogen, on our forests. We should fight for proper health and emergency service provision to rural communities. We should care about the fact that many New Brunswickers, especially many newcomer families, don’t have enough work or food. In other words we’re all in the same boat and it is full of holes. We sink together, we swim together.

I will end this commentary with an appeal to folks who have been swayed by these divisive messages: Don’t let these petty, hateful, and inaccurate conspiracy politics of French versus English be a distraction. We’re a hell of a lot stronger together and there are so many worse things going on behind the language politics/duality debate blinders. Getting rid of “duality” and “bilingualism” will not get you a job. It will not fix our economy. It will not make you happier. Working together to achieve the changes we need might.

Tabatha Armstrong is a NB Media Co-op editorial board member. 

Tags: AnglophonebilingualismelectionEnglishFrancophoneFrenchNew BrunswickPeople's AlliancesliderTabatha Armstrong
ShareTweetSend

Related Posts

Confirmed – New Brunswick’s local governance system is not inclusive
*Opinion*

Confirmed – New Brunswick’s local governance system is not inclusive

April 17, 2021

Did you receive a Notice of Public Meeting for Local Service District elections? If not, you may be in the...

Wolastoqey leaders shocked by attack from Higgs government
Indigenous

Wolastoqey leaders shocked by attack from Higgs government

April 13, 2021

Amid a global pandemic, Blaine Higgs rented two of the largest ballrooms in a Fredericton hotel today, April 13 to...

Behind the “Axe the Double Tenant Tax” sign
*Opinion*

Is New Brunswick’s so-called “double tax” increasing your rent?

April 13, 2021

As the province’s affordable housing crisis has deepened, some pundits, press and landlords have taken advantage to draw attention to...

New Brunswickers losing millions on forestry
*Opinion*

New Brunswickers losing millions on forestry

April 9, 2021

For more than two years now, we’ve been asking the government of New Brunswick to adopt straightforward solutions that would...

Load More

Recommended

Behind the “Axe the Double Tenant Tax” sign

Is New Brunswick’s so-called “double tax” increasing your rent?

6 days ago
Promise of Home’s stories of Fredericton teens

Promise of Home’s stories of Fredericton teens

20 hours ago
Is there an erosion of refugee rights in Canada? [video]

Is there an erosion of refugee rights in Canada? [video]

2 days ago
Who will be our mayor? Fredericton groups host public question session with mayoral candidates

Who will be our mayor? Fredericton groups host public question session with mayoral candidates

6 days ago
NB Media Co-op

© 2019 NB Media Co-op. All rights reserved.

Navigate Site

  • About
  • Join/Donate
  • Contact
  • Share a Story
  • Calendar
  • Archives

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • About
  • Join/Donate
  • Contact
  • Share a Story
  • COVID-19
  • Videos
  • New Brunswick
  • Canada
  • World
  • Arts & Culture
  • Environment
  • Indigenous
  • Labour
  • Politics
  • Rural

© 2019 NB Media Co-op. All rights reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In