Prime Minister Mark Carney had pointed words for the head of Canada’s largest airline early Wednesday, saying the Air Canada CEO’s unilingual message of condolences to those affected by the recent deadly crash showed a “lack of judgment” and “a lack of compassion.”
“I’m very disappointed,” the prime minister said on his way into a caucus meeting.
“We proudly live in a bilingual country and companies like Air Canada particularly have a responsibility to always communicate in both official languages, regardless of the situation.”
The airline posted Michael Rousseau’s four-minute video message after Air Canada Express Flight 8646 hit a fire truck on the runway of New York’s LaGuardia Airport late Sunday. The crash killed both pilots, Antoine Forest and Mackenzie Gunther, and sent more than 40 people to hospital.
Forest was a French-speaking Quebecer.
In his unilingual message, Rousseau said he was deeply saddened by the loss of life and said the collision was a “very dark day” for Air Canada.
Air Canada President and CEO Michael Rousseau provides a video statement on the tragic accident involving Air Canada Express AC8646: <a href=”https://t.co/ZwFibpOkj2″>pic.twitter.com/ZwFibpOkj2</a>
Outside of Rousseau saying “bonjour” at the beginning and “merci” at the end, he delivered the message in English, with French subtitles. While Air Canada was privatized decades ago it remains subject to the Official Languages Act.
On top of the aftermath of the tragedy, Rousseau now finds himself the target of political backlash and, as of Wednesday morning, some 561 complaints to the Commissioner of Official Languages.
Carney said the unilingual message “particularly in these circumstances” showed a “lack of judgment, a lack of compassion.”
Carney ‘very disappointed’ in Air Canada CEO’s English-only message after fatal airport collision
The tone was shared by other MPs on Parliament Hill Wednesday.
Quebec cabinet minister Mélanie Joly said given “a lot of the victims and their families are francophones” the video showed a “lack of empathy.”
“I think it’s a question of moral leadership,” she said.
Canadian Identity and Culture Minister Marc Miller said he’s holding back to not make “political hay over what remains a tragedy with people still in hospital.”
“He should know better,” he said, alluding to Rousseau’s previous language controversy. After giving a predominantly English speech in 2021, he told a reporter he didn’t need to learn French in order to live in Montreal.
Rousseau later apologized and said at the time he started French lessons.
In an an online post, Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet called the video a “sad and gross lack of respect for the loved ones and family” of pilot Forest.
“The head of Air Canada must very seriously ask himself whether he has not clearly disqualified himself for the position he holds.”
Conservative MP Joël Godin, the party’s official languages critic, called the video “unacceptable.”
The premier of Quebec, where Air Canada is headquartered, called for Rousseau’s resignation.
“If he still doesn’t speak French, it’s a lack of respect,” said François Legault.
On Tuesday Rousseau was summoned to Ottawa to appear before the committee on official languages to answer for the online video.
“I will follow his comments closely and comments which I would expect in due course from the board of directors,” said Carney.
In a statement late Tuesday, Air Canada said Rousseau used English to best express a sensitive message.
“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,” the statement said, referring to Air Canada’s regional partner, which operated the flight.
“He therefore recorded a message before leaving for the crash site,” it said.
“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.”
The statement added that any information about the collision Rousseau gave in the video was also posted online in both official languages.
