Air Canada’s CEO has received backlash for his lack of French abilities this week. The leader of the Montreal-based airline was unable to answer basic questions from journalists in French during a press conference. This comes despite living in French-speaking Montreal for 14 years. Let’s find out more.
The incident
Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau has found himself in a world of trouble after a news conference on Wednesday, seen by CBC. After being asked a basic question in French about his inability to speak the language, Rousseau requested that the question be asked in English again. However, the journalist instead asked Rousseau’s aide to translate the question, but she responded that the question had been answered in the speech earlier.
At this point, Rousseau’s “fair” comprehension of the language meant he jumped into the back-and-forth, saying,
“I would love to speak French and while my family has a French background, but right now my priority is that Air Canada gets back where they were … If you look at my work schedule, you’d understand why [he has not learnt French].”
However, the journalist pressed on, repeating the question in English, saying,
“It’s been 14 years of you living in Montreal. How can you live in Montreal without speaking French? Is it easy?”
Rousseau responded,
“I’ve been able to live in Montreal without speaking French, and I think that’s a testament to the city of Montreal.”
Backlash
The exchange has not gone down well with politicians and officials across Canada. Under the country’s Official Languages Act, all companies must provide all services in French and English. Therefore, according to Canada’s Commissioner of Official Languages, Rousseau should also be able to communicate in both languages.
Moreover, the tone of Rousseau’s response also left many unhappy, with many saying his comments sounded dismissive and insensitive. Considering Air Canada is based in the French-speaking province of Quebec only accentuates the issue.
All of this forced Rousseau to respond to the backlash he was facing. In an official statement through the airline, he said,
“I want to make it clear that in no way did I mean to show disrespect for Quebecers and francophones across the country. I apologize to those who were offended by my remarks. I pledge today to improve my French, an official language of Canada and the common language of Québec, while tackling the serious commercial challenges facing Air Canada as we move from surviving the pandemic to rebuilding to normalcy.”
Important
While it’s not common for airline CEOs not to speak every major language in their country (some may need to know several), the situation is different for Air Canada. Given the country’s laws requiring equal status to English and French and AC’s history in Quebec, many may be unhappy that the current CEO cannot speak the language. For now, expect to see Michael Rousseau speak a lot more French at his next press conference.
What do you think about the backlash to Air Canada’s CEO being unable to speak French? Let us know in the comments.
Air Canada’s CEO Apologizes For Not Speaking French - Simple Flying
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