Interpreters: to save, the Federal wishes to favor the lowest tenderer

The federal government, the largest employer of interpreters in Canada, plans to take the lowest tenderer when the time comes to choose a freelance interpreter. An option that worries about the midst of the middle.

Public Services and Supply Canada (SPAC) always wishes to choose the best interpreter for assignment, but now intends to turn to the supplier that offers the lowest price.

This is in any case what can be read in a request for information concerning parliamentary interpretation and high-level conference services in official languages, which Radio-Canada obtained a copy.

As part of our mandate to modernize supply practices and ensure responsible management of public funds, we revise our processes while maintaining our attachment to the quality of the services offered, in particular in terms of interpretationdeclares in a written response the cabinet of the Minister of Government, Public Works and Supply, Joël Lightbound.

Concerns of interpreters

The International Association of Conference Interpreters (AIC) Canada is worried.

This change would almost certainly have the effect of dismissing the most experienced freelancers from a team already in sub-efficient. […] Quality would no longer be evaluated objectively, which would open the way to favoritism, cronyism and other unfair and dangerous practicessaid theAicon Canada by press release on Wednesday.

The association is also concerned about the abolition of measures which aim to protect the hearing health of performers, in particular with regard to sound quality.

Francophones affected so disproportionate

For the spokesperson forAicon CanadaNicole Gagnon, These proposals may compromise the electoral commitments of the Carney government aimed at strengthening official bilingualism.

Ms. Gagnon fears that the new supply method harms the quality of interpretation services, especially in French. We [les interprètes] are not all interchangeable, like staples that are bought at the office roughlyshe launches.

Same story to the Canadian Association of Professional Employees (ACEP). Since the vast majority of translations carried out by the translation office are from English to French, the French -speaking communities of Canada are affected in a disproportionate mannerwrites the president of theAcep, Nathan prie.

For its part, the Assembly of the Francophonie of Ontario (AFO) says it understands the efforts of reductions in public spending, but recalls that The quality of the interpretation services in French cannot be sacrificed.

L’AFO invites the federal government to collaborate with the French -speaking community and the interpreters; What the government is to do. Our government remains firmly committed to protecting and promoting bilingualism and equality of our two official languagesunderlines the minister’s office Lightbound.

Interpreter, a job that is very bad in Canada?

According to the professor at the University of Ottawa Translation and Interpretation School, Wrong Basalamahpractically the set of performers who work in the field in Canada have studied or taught at the University of Ottawa.

The professor says that people who believe enough to control French will necessarily want to practice and get hired despite the quality of their language.

He notes that the federal government revives the value of the work of interpreter. Interpretation is very bad in Canada, we need help, grants […] which allow you to start, see simply support the existence of programs.

Federal officials of SPAC will hold an information session on Thursday, July 17, for potential suppliers with a ban on access to the media.

We will continue to work with environmental professionals to guarantee high -quality interpretation services, in compliance with the health and working conditions of the interpretersassures the minister’s office.

With information from Félix Pilon