Pierre Poilievre Promises New Law Against Government Jargon

Pierre Poilievre is fighting one of his final battles in the Conservative leadership race – one in which even his main rival is on his side. His latest goal? The terminology used by the federal bureaucracy. In a video posted on social media Thursday, the apparent front-runner promises to enact a “Plain Language Act” that he says would end government jargon, including in legislative documents. Poilievre began his announcement by quoting Antoine de Saint-Exupery, the famous French author of “The Little Prince,” who once wrote a series about perfection. “Perfection is not achieved when there is nothing to add, but when there is nothing to take away,” Poilievre said. “Unfortunately,” he continued, “our governments do nothing but add and add paper and forms and endless red tape.” Poilievre said his new law would ensure government publications would be written in plain, simple sentences, but did not explain how such a law would work – or how the bill itself would be written without using jargon. The law would also empower the auditor general to scan government publications for red tape, he says, and provide Canadians with a government website where they can report any nonsense. He said the law would also make it a job requirement for the government to hire writers who can write clearly and tailor bilingual language training for civil servants to ensure they learn the most understandable words. As for why it’s needed, Poilievre argues that government documents, including forms, are unnecessarily complex because the bureaucrats who write them use overly technical language, which creates obstacles for small businesses who need to read them. All that time spent trying to figure out what the documents add, he says. The federal government already has a policy on how its communications should sound, with rules stating that its messages must be nonpartisan and clear. The policy took effect in 2016, early in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s tenure. Former US President Barack Obama also made simplifying language a priority during his first term in the White House, signing the Plain Writing Act in 2010. Poilievre’s announcement Thursday sparked a rare moment of agreement with Jean Charest, the former Quebec premier, whom Poilievre has criticized throughout the race as being out of touch with the current party. In a brief statement, Charest spokeswoman Laurence Toth wrote: “We welcome this policy announcement.” Tasha Kheiriddin, one of his campaign co-chairs, said that while she likes the idea in principle, she believes that legislation to simplify the language of government would result in more red tape. It’s “more government to simplify governance, which I think is a strange approach for Mr. Poilievre,” he said. Poilievre’s fight for fewer words appears to be one he takes personally, as he complained about politicians’ use of jargon in a speech given more than a decade ago. Back in 2009, when the prominent Tory had only been an MP for five years, he advised young Tories on the value of learning to communicate as a way of advancing their political careers. Poilievre, who now boasts one of the largest social media followings in Canadian politics, complained at the time about how few people on Parliament Hill knew how to write and speak in a way that everyday Canadians could understand. “It’s not their responsibility to decipher overly boring language,” he said of voters. Poilievre instructed his audience in 2009 that the best way to learn to communicate clearly is to write for newspapers – which take complex ideas and use simple language to explain them to readers – and knock on doors. Poilievre’s ability as a communicator is one of the reasons his supporters say they support him. His campaign says he has sold more than 300,000 members and many Conservatives expect the next party leader to be elected on September 10. The results of the vote will be announced that afternoon at a conference in Ottawa. The party announced Thursday that the event will have a familiar face as its special guest speaker: Peter MacKay. The former cabinet minister is a senior politician in the movement, the party says, having led the former federal Progressive Conservative party into a 2003 merger with the Canadian Alliance that gave birth to the modern Conservative Party of Canada. McKay decided not to enter the leadership race this year, saying he was still paying off campaign debt from the 2020 leadership contest, which he lost to former leader Erin O’Toole. Subscribers Only: Get exclusive political news and analysis by subscribing to Political information.

title: “Pierre Poilievre Promises New Law Against Government Jargon Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-18” author: “Joey Hill”

Pierre Poilievre is fighting one of his final battles in the Conservative leadership race – one in which even his main rival is on his side. His latest goal? The terminology used by the federal bureaucracy. In a video posted on social media Thursday, the apparent front-runner promises to enact a “Plain Language Act” that he says would end government jargon, including in legislative documents. Poilievre began his announcement by quoting Antoine de Saint-Exupery, the famous French author of “The Little Prince,” who once wrote a series about perfection. “Perfection is not achieved when there is nothing to add, but when there is nothing to take away,” Poilievre said. “Unfortunately,” he continued, “our governments do nothing but add and add paper and forms and endless red tape.” Poilievre said his new law would ensure government publications would be written in plain, simple sentences, but did not explain how such a law would work – or how the bill itself would be written without using jargon. The law would also empower the auditor general to scan government publications for red tape, he says, and provide Canadians with a government website where they can report any nonsense. He said the law would also make it a job requirement for the government to hire writers who can write clearly and tailor bilingual language training for civil servants to ensure they learn the most understandable words. As for why it’s needed, Poilievre argues that government documents, including forms, are unnecessarily complex because the bureaucrats who write them use overly technical language, which creates obstacles for small businesses who need to read them. All that time spent trying to figure out what the documents add, he says. The federal government already has a policy on how its communications should sound, with rules stating that its messages must be nonpartisan and clear. The policy took effect in 2016, early in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s tenure. Former US President Barack Obama also made simplifying language a priority during his first term in the White House, signing the Plain Writing Act in 2010. Poilievre’s announcement Thursday sparked a rare moment of agreement with Jean Charest, the former Quebec premier, whom Poilievre has criticized throughout the race as being out of touch with the current party. In a brief statement, Charest spokeswoman Laurence Toth wrote: “We welcome this policy announcement.” Tasha Kheiriddin, one of his campaign co-chairs, said that while she likes the idea in principle, she believes that legislation to simplify the language of government would result in more red tape. It’s “more government to simplify governance, which I think is a strange approach for Mr. Poilievre,” he said. Poilievre’s fight for fewer words appears to be one he takes personally, as he complained about politicians’ use of jargon in a speech given more than a decade ago. Back in 2009, when the prominent Tory had only been an MP for five years, he advised young Tories on the value of learning to communicate as a way of advancing their political careers. Poilievre, who now boasts one of the largest social media followings in Canadian politics, complained at the time about how few people on Parliament Hill knew how to write and speak in a way that everyday Canadians could understand. “It’s not their responsibility to decipher overly boring language,” he said of voters. Poilievre instructed his audience in 2009 that the best way to learn to communicate clearly is to write for newspapers – which take complex ideas and use simple language to explain them to readers – and knock on doors. Poilievre’s ability as a communicator is one of the reasons his supporters say they support him. His campaign says he has sold more than 300,000 members and many Conservatives expect the next party leader to be elected on September 10. The results of the vote will be announced that afternoon at a conference in Ottawa. The party announced Thursday that the event will have a familiar face as its special guest speaker: Peter MacKay. The former cabinet minister is a senior politician in the movement, the party says, having led the former federal Progressive Conservative party into a 2003 merger with the Canadian Alliance that gave birth to the modern Conservative Party of Canada. McKay decided not to enter the leadership race this year, saying he was still paying off campaign debt from the 2020 leadership contest, which he lost to former leader Erin O’Toole. Subscribers Only: Get exclusive political news and analysis by subscribing to Political information.

title: “Pierre Poilievre Promises New Law Against Government Jargon Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-18” author: “Jose Neal”

Pierre Poilievre is fighting one of his final battles in the Conservative leadership race – one in which even his main rival is on his side. His latest goal? The terminology used by the federal bureaucracy. In a video posted on social media Thursday, the apparent front-runner promises to enact a “Plain Language Act” that he says would end government jargon, including in legislative documents. Poilievre began his announcement by quoting Antoine de Saint-Exupery, the famous French author of “The Little Prince,” who once wrote a series about perfection. “Perfection is not achieved when there is nothing to add, but when there is nothing to take away,” Poilievre said. “Unfortunately,” he continued, “our governments do nothing but add and add paper and forms and endless red tape.” Poilievre said his new law would ensure government publications would be written in plain, simple sentences, but did not explain how such a law would work – or how the bill itself would be written without using jargon. The law would also empower the auditor general to scan government publications for red tape, he says, and provide Canadians with a government website where they can report any nonsense. He said the law would also make it a job requirement for the government to hire writers who can write clearly and tailor bilingual language training for civil servants to ensure they learn the most understandable words. As for why it’s needed, Poilievre argues that government documents, including forms, are unnecessarily complex because the bureaucrats who write them use overly technical language, which creates obstacles for small businesses who need to read them. All that time spent trying to figure out what the documents add, he says. The federal government already has a policy on how its communications should sound, with rules stating that its messages must be nonpartisan and clear. The policy took effect in 2016, early in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s tenure. Former US President Barack Obama also made simplifying language a priority during his first term in the White House, signing the Plain Writing Act in 2010. Poilievre’s announcement Thursday sparked a rare moment of agreement with Jean Charest, the former Quebec premier, whom Poilievre has criticized throughout the race as being out of touch with the current party. In a brief statement, Charest spokeswoman Laurence Toth wrote: “We welcome this policy announcement.” Tasha Kheiriddin, one of his campaign co-chairs, said that while she likes the idea in principle, she believes that legislation to simplify the language of government would result in more red tape. It’s “more government to simplify governance, which I think is a strange approach for Mr. Poilievre,” he said. Poilievre’s fight for fewer words appears to be one he takes personally, as he complained about politicians’ use of jargon in a speech given more than a decade ago. Back in 2009, when the prominent Tory had only been an MP for five years, he advised young Tories on the value of learning to communicate as a way of advancing their political careers. Poilievre, who now boasts one of the largest social media followings in Canadian politics, complained at the time about how few people on Parliament Hill knew how to write and speak in a way that everyday Canadians could understand. “It’s not their responsibility to decipher overly boring language,” he said of voters. Poilievre instructed his audience in 2009 that the best way to learn to communicate clearly is to write for newspapers – which take complex ideas and use simple language to explain them to readers – and knock on doors. Poilievre’s ability as a communicator is one of the reasons his supporters say they support him. His campaign says he has sold more than 300,000 members and many Conservatives expect the next party leader to be elected on September 10. The results of the vote will be announced that afternoon at a conference in Ottawa. The party announced Thursday that the event will have a familiar face as its special guest speaker: Peter MacKay. The former cabinet minister is a senior politician in the movement, the party says, having led the former federal Progressive Conservative party into a 2003 merger with the Canadian Alliance that gave birth to the modern Conservative Party of Canada. McKay decided not to enter the leadership race this year, saying he was still paying off campaign debt from the 2020 leadership contest, which he lost to former leader Erin O’Toole. Subscribers Only: Get exclusive political news and analysis by subscribing to Political information.

title: “Pierre Poilievre Promises New Law Against Government Jargon Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-14” author: “Roy Davis”

Pierre Poilievre is fighting one of his final battles in the Conservative leadership race – one in which even his main rival is on his side. His latest goal? The terminology used by the federal bureaucracy. In a video posted on social media Thursday, the apparent front-runner promises to enact a “Plain Language Act” that he says would end government jargon, including in legislative documents. Poilievre began his announcement by quoting Antoine de Saint-Exupery, the famous French author of “The Little Prince,” who once wrote a series about perfection. “Perfection is not achieved when there is nothing to add, but when there is nothing to take away,” Poilievre said. “Unfortunately,” he continued, “our governments do nothing but add and add paper and forms and endless red tape.” Poilievre said his new law would ensure government publications would be written in plain, simple sentences, but did not explain how such a law would work – or how the bill itself would be written without using jargon. The law would also empower the auditor general to scan government publications for red tape, he says, and provide Canadians with a government website where they can report any nonsense. He said the law would also make it a job requirement for the government to hire writers who can write clearly and tailor bilingual language training for civil servants to ensure they learn the most understandable words. As for why it’s needed, Poilievre argues that government documents, including forms, are unnecessarily complex because the bureaucrats who write them use overly technical language, which creates obstacles for small businesses who need to read them. All that time spent trying to figure out what the documents add, he says. The federal government already has a policy on how its communications should sound, with rules stating that its messages must be nonpartisan and clear. The policy took effect in 2016, early in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s tenure. Former US President Barack Obama also made simplifying language a priority during his first term in the White House, signing the Plain Writing Act in 2010. Poilievre’s announcement Thursday sparked a rare moment of agreement with Jean Charest, the former Quebec premier, whom Poilievre has criticized throughout the race as being out of touch with the current party. In a brief statement, Charest spokeswoman Laurence Toth wrote: “We welcome this policy announcement.” Tasha Kheiriddin, one of his campaign co-chairs, said that while she likes the idea in principle, she believes that legislation to simplify the language of government would result in more red tape. It’s “more government to simplify governance, which I think is a strange approach for Mr. Poilievre,” he said. Poilievre’s fight for fewer words appears to be one he takes personally, as he complained about politicians’ use of jargon in a speech given more than a decade ago. Back in 2009, when the prominent Tory had only been an MP for five years, he advised young Tories on the value of learning to communicate as a way of advancing their political careers. Poilievre, who now boasts one of the largest social media followings in Canadian politics, complained at the time about how few people on Parliament Hill knew how to write and speak in a way that everyday Canadians could understand. “It’s not their responsibility to decipher overly boring language,” he said of voters. Poilievre instructed his audience in 2009 that the best way to learn to communicate clearly is to write for newspapers – which take complex ideas and use simple language to explain them to readers – and knock on doors. Poilievre’s ability as a communicator is one of the reasons his supporters say they support him. His campaign says he has sold more than 300,000 members and many Conservatives expect the next party leader to be elected on September 10. The results of the vote will be announced that afternoon at a conference in Ottawa. The party announced Thursday that the event will have a familiar face as its special guest speaker: Peter MacKay. The former cabinet minister is a senior politician in the movement, the party says, having led the former federal Progressive Conservative party into a 2003 merger with the Canadian Alliance that gave birth to the modern Conservative Party of Canada. McKay decided not to enter the leadership race this year, saying he was still paying off campaign debt from the 2020 leadership contest, which he lost to former leader Erin O’Toole. Subscribers Only: Get exclusive political news and analysis by subscribing to Political information.