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Air Canada CEO Faces Backlash for French Language Skills
John Roberts
Host
Michael Rousseau
Guest
Quebec officials are demanding the resignation of Air Canada's CEO, Michael Russo, for not
speaking French.
Simon Jolene Barrett, the minister for relations with Canada, called it unacceptable and a sign
of disrespect of French speakers across the country.
This isn't the first time.
Two years ago, Russo promised to learn French during a speech to the Montreal Chamber of
Commerce.
But recently, he appeared before a House of Commons Committee and could only manage a
hello and thank you.
Meanwhile, Quebec's minister of the French language, Jean-François Robert, weighed
in sharply.
He stressed that respect for French is key, especially since it's an official language
nationwide.
Robert laid out clear steps for Russo, issue an apology in French, and commit fully to
learning the language.
The backlash highlights ongoing tensions over language rights in Canada, and the story
is still developing as more reactions come in.
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