Minister won't say when he ordered audit of Indigenous languages office

  • Canadian Press

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister Marc Miller arrives to a caucus meeting on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

OTTAWA -- Canadian Heritage Minister Marc Miller won't say when his department ordered a financial audit of the Office of the Commissioner of Indigenous Languages after it received anonymous complaints.

The Canadian Press reported earlier this week an audit is being conducted of the landmark office, which is tasked with helping to preserve at-risk Indigenous languages.

Miller says the allegations brought forward against the office are serious enough to warrant the audit and people need to be held accountable.

At the same time, he says, the office needs to be given the benefit of doubt and due process needs to be respected.

He says he won't speculate on what changes need to be made to the office's governance structure or mandate, adding a mandatory review of the Indigenous Languages Act is underway.

Commissioner Ronald Ignace told The Canadian Press he is proud of the work done to establish the office.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 3, 2026.