The Prime Minister said on Friday that new census data showing a decline in the French language in Canada is "very concerning," but he added that Ottawa still bears the responsibility of protecting linguistic minorities across the country, including in Quebec.

During a visit to Les Iles-de-la-Madeleine, Que., Trudeau responded to data released this week indicating that the percentage of Canadians who primarily speak French at home has declined in nearly all provinces and territories.

In Quebec, the percentage of people who primarily speak French at home dropped to 77.5 percent in 2021 from 82.3 percent twenty years ago.

Trudeau said that while the data is shocking, "we have been able to see it coming over the past years."

He stated in Cap-aux-Meules, Que., where he made an infrastructure announcement: "The numbers recently released are very concerning but not entirely surprising."

For this reason, the federal government introduced a bill earlier this year to increase the use of the French language in private businesses subject to federal regulation.

Trudeau added that the government's proposed update to the Official Languages Act also recognizes Ottawa's responsibility to protect French speakers even in Quebec, something previous federal governments did not do.

However, this bill allows federally regulated companies to choose not to be subject to Quebec's strict language charter.

The federal government has also not ruled out joining a final court challenge to the recently adopted language reform in Quebec, known as Bill 96.

Bill 96 expands strict French language rules for businesses and requires immigrants to communicate with the government only in French after six months of arriving in Quebec.

Trudeau said that while the federal government is committed to protecting the French language in Quebec, it is also dedicated to ensuring the respect of linguistic minorities across the country.

He added that the protection enjoyed by English speakers in Quebec also protects the rights of French speakers elsewhere in Canada.