Premier François Legault is being joined by Quebec politicians of various stripes in calling for Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau to resign.
The multi-partisan unity is in response to an English condolence video released by Air Canada after the fatal collision at New York’s LaGuardia airport, which killed two pilots, including Antoine Forest, a French-speaking Quebecer.
During Rousseau’s four-minute video posted online, he spoke only two words in French: “Bonjour” and “Merci.”
In an email to Radio-Canada, the Commissioner of Official Languages confirmed it has received a total of 795 complaints as of 1 p.m. on Wednesday concerning the video message.
This isn’t the first time the committee has fielded complaints relating to Rousseau. In 2021, thousands were sent after he made a speech almost entirely in English to a business crowd in Montreal.
Rousseau admitted at the time that he’d lived in the city for 14 years without having to speak its majority language, and this was a “testament to the city of Montreal.” He blamed his work schedule for not allowing him the time to learn French.
In response to the backlash he then faced, Rousseau wrote a letter to Air Canada’s employees, in French, saying he had started courses with a private tutor.
“If he still doesn’t speak French,” Legault said Wednesday, “it’s a lack of respect.”
Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada said Rousseau “failed in his task” and “lost the respect of francophones.”
WATCH | Criticism mounts against Air Canada CEO, PM:
Air Canada CEO, PM criticized by Quebec politicians for not respecting French language
The pressure is mounting on Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau for not being able to speak French, with politicians at the National Assembly blasting his English-only response to this week’s fatal plane crash in New York. The criticism has also expanded to Prime Minister Mark Carney’s office and his speechwriting team.
Rousseau has been summoned to Ottawa to explain why he spoke only in English in his video address. He was also summoned in 2022 for his English remarks.
Quebec Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette said it’s unacceptable.
“It’s not the first time, it’s not the second time, it’s the minimum the third time. Game over,” he said in English to reporters at the National Assembly.
Jean-François Roberge, Quebec’s minister for the French language, believes Rousseau should apologize.
“He has to say that he will respect Quebecers and French-speaking Canada.”
The two contenders running to replace Legault as premier and leader of the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) party also weighed in on the language controversy.
Bernard Drainville posted on X saying he agrees with the premier that Rousseau must resign.
While his leadership rival, Christine Fréchette, didn’t call for Rousseau’s outright resignation, she said Air Canada’s board of directors does need a better plan going forward.
“We cannot have an important CEO for this kind of company that doesn’t respect the bill for Official Language[s]. There’s a need to make some change and the board needs to think about it.”
Quebec politicians united in condemnation
Other Quebec party leaders were not as willing to wait for a change.
Québec Solidaire co-spokesperson Ruba Ghazal said the fact that Rousseau “didn’t even make the effort to read a message, written by his team, in French” after one of his francophone employees died was disrespectful.
“What he said five years ago is a joke; he wasn’t serious. We have the proof now,” said Ghazal, citing Rousseau’s former promise that he would learn French.
I’m asking him to quit his job right now, because he’s not respecting our language. He’s not respecting Quebecers.- Québec Solidaire co-spokesperson Ruba Ghazal
She also spoke to the fact that immigrants to Quebec, like her parents, are asked to learn French six months after they arrive. Yet Rousseau has lived in Quebec for much longer, she pointed out, and still hasn’t learned the language. For her, “these two standards are unacceptable in our society.”
Quebec Liberal Party Leader Charles Milliard echoed that sentiment, acknowledging that it’s hard for immigrants to learn French in six months. But Rousseau’s time spent living in Quebec means “we could do better.”
Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon made the case that this situation is further evidence of Quebec’s need to be independent.
“To all the people who think there’s a legitimacy to have French as an official language and that companies should respect that, there is a solution,” he said.
“I invite everyone who thinks that the specificity of Quebec in terms of the French language that should be respected to vote for the independence of Quebec. Because that’s what normal countries do. They have an official language and people learn the official language.”
WATCH | Bloc Québécois leader says Rousseau doesn’t have the required respect to keep his job:
‘He should leave’: Blanchet wants Air Canada to oust its CEO after English-only message
Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet said Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau ‘doesn’t have the requisite respect for Quebec society and all French Quebecers and French Canadians’ to keep his job. Rousseau is facing backlash after delivering a unilingual message about a collision involving an Air Canada Express passenger jet that killed both pilots — years after he said he was taking French lessons.Air Canada’s response
In a statement late Tuesday, Air Canada said Rousseau chose to speak in English to ensure his message was received as clearly as possible given the emotional circumstances.
“Mr. Rousseau felt it was important to personally address our customers, our employees, and those of Jazz, their families, and all those affected in any way. He therefore recorded a message before leaving for the crash site,” the statement read.
“Despite his efforts, his ability to speak French does not allow him to convey such a sensitive message as effectively as he would have liked in that language. We have therefore used subtitles to ensure everyone can receive his message directly.”
The statement added that any information about the collision Rousseau gave in the video was also posted online in both official languages.
In an updated statement Wednesday, a spokesperson reiterated Rousseau’s desire “to speak in person and promptly offer our condolences to the families and convey our messages to customers and staff.”
“Unfortunately, he does not have the necessary skills to deliver this message in French, so it has been provided in the available format with French subtitles,” the statement reads.
A company spokesperson did not respond to whether or not Rousseau would remain in his post.