Pierre Poilievre plans to force the federal government to stop using overly complex bureaucratic wording by passing a law requiring the use of "clear language" if he is elected Prime Minister. The Conservative leadership candidate makes this promise just days before he is confirmed as the leader of the Conservative Party.

According to a press release obtained by the National Post before its release, the front-runner for the Conservative leadership will pass a law requiring government publications to use "as few and as simple words as necessary" to clarify information and also to write laws as simply as possible.

Pierre also stated: "Everything should be as simple as possible," as the law applies only to new publications or existing publications that are revised, to avoid the cost of "rewriting everything the government has already published." He will also make simple language skills a job requirement for new staff expected to write for the government, and ensure bilingual language training for public servants teaches "the language ordinary people speak, not academic or bureaucratic terms."

Canada will follow the steps of the United States, which passed the Plain Writing Act in 2010 requiring federal agencies to use "clear government communications that people can understand and use." New Zealand is also looking into adopting a plain language bill that requires official documents and websites to use writing that readers can understand easily after one reading.

Poilievre argued that complex wording not only harms Canadians but also businesses because they spend hours trying to navigate government regulations, with a 2020 survey conducted by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business finding that 79 percent of about 5,500 companies said that simplifying regulations and guidelines, "including using plain language" would help reduce red tape and improve regulatory compliance. Pierre acknowledged that simplifying language for thousands of government documents will take time and will not end "bureaucrats" overnight, but "we have to start somewhere," he said.

On the other hand, Conservative Party members have until September 6 to submit their vote to the Ottawa headquarters, and the new leader will be announced on September 10.