Ontario Progressive Conservative MPP Amanda Simard says she is against her government's cuts to French-language services. Source: Facebook.

TORONTO — A week after saying the government appreciates MPP Amanda Simard’s voice in caucus, the Ontario Progressive Conservatives aren’t giving her any time to comment on an NDP motion to reverse cuts to Franco-Ontarian services.

Simard broke ranks with her party last week over its plan to axe the independent office of the French-language services commissioner and cancel construction of a French-language university. The changes were announced two weeks ago in the province’s fall economic update.

When she first spoke out, the premier’s office issued a statement saying: “MPP Amanda Simard is an advocate for Franco-Ontarians and we appreciate having her voice in caucus.”

Now, one week later, the legislature will debate a motion calling on the cuts to be walked back, but the Tories aren’t giving Simard any of the time the governing caucus gets to speak on the matter.

“I asked to speak on the motion today,” Simard told reporters Wednesday, but she said “the list was conveniently full.”

[READ MORE: Tory MPP who broke ranks with Ford will stay in caucus for now]

The cuts have galvanized francophones across Canada and, in a rare moment in politics, they’ve forced all of Canada’s federal party leaders to speak in unison against them.

On Wednesday afternoon, while the provincial legislature debates the motion to reverse the cuts, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will meet with Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, and Interim Bloc Québécois Leader Mario Beaulieu to “discuss issues facing the Canadian Francophonie.”

However, while Scheer has tried to turn the matter on Trudeau by calling for more federal funding, the Liberals have been publicly pressuring Premier Doug Ford to reverse course.

Simard is the only Franco-Ontarian in the PC caucus, and is also the parliamentary assistant to Francophone Affairs Minister Caroline Mulroney.

“I really want to see who will be there, and who will support it and who won’t, and who is going to speak to it,” Simard said, “because, quite frankly, I’m very curious to know why the list got so full, so quickly.”

Asked by a reporter in French if she was being censored, she said she will give the government “the benefit of the doubt.”

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Government House Leader Todd Smith said Simard isn’t getting any time to speak in the House because she only put her name forward “late last night.”

“It’s not as if her feelings on this are unknown and she hasn’t had a pulpit to speak from,” Smith said. “So all I can tell you is that our speaking lists are set for today.”

“There’s been very little communication right now, so I’m not exactly sure where Ms. Simard is going with all this,” Smith added. “She was welcome to come to caucus yesterday and wasn’t there, but the door was open and we want her to be part of our team.”

Because the Liberals don’t have official party status, they are only granted time to speak on Opposition Day motions if the legislature grants them unanimous consent. The PCs blocked a request from Liberal MPP Nathalie Des Rosiers to grant her party 20 minutes to speak on the issue. Subsequent requests for 10 minutes of speaking time, then just five minutes, were also rejected.

“Allocating more time wouldn’t be in our best interests, because we have a plan to get our legislation passed,” was the reason Smith gave for why the government said no.

Des Rosiers said the government is “shutting down” not just Simard, but the two Franco-Ontarians in the Liberal caucus, as well.

On Friday, the premier’s office announced it was softening its stance by creating a French-language commissioner position under the office of the ombudsman. It also said it would hire a senior policy adviser responsible for francophone affairs, and recreate the ministry of francophone affairs, which the Tories had condensed into an office when they took power in June.

Simard told reporters the changes on Friday amounted to “partial backtracking.”

“My position is that we need to reverse the two decisions. The kind of backtracking — partial backtracking that we’ve seen — I don’t feel that’s enough. And I know that the Franco-Ontarians don’t feel that it’s enough.”

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