The French Language Services Commissioner has a mandate to conduct independent investigations under the French Language Services Act, either in response to complaints or on his own initiative, to prepare reports on his investigations, and to monitor the progress made by government agencies in the delivery of French-language services in Ontario.

The French Language Services Commissioner reports directly to the Minister Responsible for Francophone Affairs. He advises the Minister and makes recommendations to the Minister with respect to the application of the Act.

The terms of the Commissioner’s mandate are 2, 3, and 5 years. Thus, the current mandate (his second) of the Commissioner François Boileau will end in September 2012, which is five years after his appointment.

Role

Working independently of the Office of Francophone Affairs, the Office of the French Language Services Commissioner’ primary roles are:

• - To listen to the Francophone population;
• - To receive and handle complaints and to follow up on them;
• - To increase the public service’s awareness of the public’s expectations;
• - To exercise its powers of investigation and to make recommendations with respect to the delivery of French-language services;
• - To advise the Minister and make recommendations to her.

Mission

The mission of the Office of the French Language Services Commissioner is to ensure that the public receives high-quality French-language services from the Government of Ontario.

• Through its powers of investigation, it monitors the application of the French Language Services Act.
• It strongly encourages government ministries and agencies to proactively design policies and programs that are adapted to their Francophone clientele, notably through its power to make recommendations.

Values

The 5 key values of the Office of the French Language Services Commissioner are:

• - Listening
• - Transparency
• - Integrity
• - Quality
• - Respect