Toronto, Sep 29 (IANS) Canadian opposition leader Jack Layton has promised support for a new visa office in Mumbai and official status for the Punjabi language in Canada if he becomes prime minister after the Oct 14 polls.Jack, whose New Democratic Party (NDP) has fielded a record 14 Indian Canadian candidates to woo the million-strong community, said his party will also roll back a newly passed immigration bill that the community finds discriminatory.
Nothing against speakers of Punjabi, but frankly I am hoping something got lost in translation here.
Update: Just to provide some context, here is more of the origonal article:
“We tabled legislation to allow any citizen or landed immigrant to sponsor one family member from outside the family classification for immigration,” he pointed out.
Layton replied in the affirmative when asked whether he would support demands that Punjabi, which the latest census says is the fastest growing language in Canada, be given official status.
“We are aware of the growing number of Punjabi-speaking Canadians and appreciate their rich legacy to Canadian history. We are committed to having their valuable contribution recognized by Canada.
“This includes ensuring services in Punjabi, recognizing it as being the fourth most spoken language in Canada. Already, we have seen some cities and municipalities putting up street signs and store signs in Punjabi."
The election's nuttiest promise?
Another Update from Jenn in the comments:
A Punjabi speaking friend pointed out to me that there is a huge difference in Indian between the 'national languages' which are English and Hindi and the 'official languages' which are some 21 others.
The 'official languages' of Indian are recognized but do NOT have the status of English or French in Canada or in fact of English and Hindi in India.
So this is about providing some government services in Punjabi which is not unheard of already. We have government pamphlets in Mandarin and Cantonese and others. It seems to me that this is simply a reassurance that Punjabi will be part of the list of languages that get this kind of attention.
You know its funny, some guy named "Jay" left almost the same post on the WS blog. I suspect, however, that this is the correct answer.
However, as TiGuy points out in the comments, most of the language services Layton is promising to provide Punjabi speakers lie within the jurisdiction of the provinces and/or municipalities. So his promise is no longer nutty, just empty.
I think it's virtually certain that it's a misinterpretation.
ReplyDeleteIf it's not though, we may now know the real reason Andrew McKeever withdrew.
Ha! And you guys thought French was hard. Just wait until you have to master Punjabi.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what Layton meant (if he said antyhing remotely like this) and I'm not going to arse myself to find out. Perhaps it just had something to do with heritage language programs...which I support, wholeheartedly.
Providing services is a far cry from official status.
ReplyDeleteFor example, the Ontario government provides its "Getting Married" tip sheet in English, French, Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Punjabi and Tagalog, but English is still the only official language (French being quasi-official)
A Punjabi speaking friend pointed out to me that there is a huge difference in Indian between the 'national languages' which are English and Hindi and the 'official languages' which are some 21 others.
ReplyDeleteThe 'official languages' of Indian are recognized but do NOT have the status of English or French in Canada or in fact of English and Hindi in India.
So this is about providing some government services in Punjabi which is not unheard of already. We have government pamphlets in Madarin and Cantonese and others. It seems to me that this is simply a reassurance that Punjabi will be part of the list of languages that get this kind of attention.
So nice attempt at a Gotcha but it fizzles pretty quickly on examination.
Actually, Jenn, I figured this was Layton and the paper talking at cross purposes.
ReplyDeleteThe election's nuttiest promise?
ReplyDeleteCertainly the most pandering I've come across, but then, I haven't been paying close attention to local issues, since services in languages other than English or French are largely provincial and municipal issues, which the Feds can't really do anything.
...something Angry and Dippy Jenn here would do well to educate herself about.
Wow; one million! Are the majority permanent citizens? Pretty impressive number either way.
ReplyDeleteTiGuy - I'm angry? You have some of the nastiest posts against dippers i have seen?
ReplyDeleteBCL: I suppose that your attitude than is all fair in love and war and elections? Because you have left the posting up that clearly misleads and also jins up right wing nutsos who are anti-immigration and anti-multiculturalism all in an effort to embarrass the NDP over something you KNOW is likely a mistake.
That's nice. My Punjabi friend was really impressed when this came up on a conblogger site:
http://forlifeandfamily.blogspot.com/2008/10/ndp-hidden-agenda-make-punjabi-official.html
Could there be a better proof that multi-cult is all about importing voters? Layton seeks to outdo the Liberals, to unite all the "anti-Harper" forces behind him and to become the next Prime Minister. He knows what needs to be done to perpetuate the party's rule once elected. So he doesn't bother to hide his intention to use the multi-cult scheme to further dilute, take over and destroy traditional Canada.
So good job Brownie I mean BCL. For helping to fuel the anti-immigration backlash.
Jenn, The Orange room is probably responding to this even as we speak. When the email goes out I will publish an update. If the email goes out.
ReplyDeleteReally? That's your response. I know its wrong - I have proof that I am helping to jin up people who hate immigrants and multiculturalism - but I won't correct it until I hear from the orangeroom?
ReplyDeleteYeah that's a GREAT defense for yellow citizen journalism. You and Cherniak the smear-mongers of liblogs. Nice rep to have...
Jenn, I added your first comment to the main post.
ReplyDelete"Layton is promising to provide Punjabi speakers lie within the jurisdiction of the provinces and/or municipalities. So his promise is no longer nutty, just empty."
ReplyDeleteOr perhaps Layton is aware of the only level where he's likely to ever be part of government.
BCL: thank you for updating your post (I still think your playing silly bugger games with the headline but ok).
ReplyDeleteFYI - I have posted both a jenn and 'Jay" I would have used 'J" but some blogs don't like one letter sign in. I don't always like posting as jenn because i sometimes find the responses I get are incredibly sexist. On liblogs there seems to be a lot of jays, jaytoos and jaybird hence why jenn...
In terms of 'empty' every federal government department has printed materials. But even if we are talking services, one could argue that any promise regarding Heath care by a federal politician is disingenuous since the province administers it. Perhaps Jack was talking about ensuring the funding is available for more language-based services through the funding of settlement services. That would make sense to me.
You have some of the nastiest posts against dippers i have seen?
ReplyDeleteMaybe, but I'm not running over to Dipper blogs to spit them in their faces.
By the way, you could have had the good grace to admit you don't know what the hell you're talking about.
It seems the reporter misunderstood. Layton evidently said that the NDP would recognize the contribution Punjabis have made to Canada, not that the NDP would recognize Punjabi as an official language. Evidently the foreign reporter misunderstood.
ReplyDeleteProve that we should not believe all we read. It's not what was said and the original article should be corrected, from what I read.
ReplyDelete