New procurement rules could lead interpreters to avoid federal work, association says
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OTTAWA – The association representing professional interpreters is warning that Ottawa’s planned new procurement rules could convince many of them to shun work for the federal government.
The government is looking to make several major changes to the procurement of freelance interpretation services for Parliament and institutions like the Supreme Court.
The Canadian branch of the International Association of Conference Interpreters, AIIC-Canada, said those changes include eliminating a measure to protect interpreters’ hearing and adopting a “lowest bid” approach — replacing the “best fit” approach to procurement that considers applicants’ credentials and experience.
The government is also planning to start paying interpreters by the hour rather than by the day.
AIIC-Canada carried out an online member survey of 90 freelance interpreters in Canada, and it suggested that at least half of them would be unlikely to bid for work for the government or federal institutions if the new procurement rules are enforced.
Jeremy Link, a spokesperson for Public Services and Procurement Canada, said in July that the department extended contracts with freelance interpreters until December as it worked to update the procurement process.
The Canadian Press has reached out to Public Services and Procurement Canada for an update but has not yet received a response.
Nicole Gagnon, a spokesperson for AIIC-Canada and a career freelance interpreter, said Parliament will struggle to keep up with the workload if large numbers of interpreters walk away.
“Freelancers shoulder between 50 and 60 per cent of the workload on the Hill,” Gagnon said. “If you have a clear majority of people that are unlikely to bid on this, then that will leave the government short-handed.
“Adopting these rules is the opposite of a solution to the shortage because it makes the problem worse.”
Gagnon said the shortage of accredited and qualified interpreters that started before the pandemic got worse when Parliament went virtual and interpreters like herself sustained injuries.
Several Parliament Hill interpreters have reported hearing damage due to poor sound quality and feedback. The federal government was forced to adjust the audio setup in the House of Commons and committee rooms last year.
Gagnon said the new contracts aren’t expected to include commitments to interpreters’ health and safety.
“Parliamentary freelancers are unlikely to bid if these new rules are silent on measures to protect our hearing health,” she said.
Gagnon said that if the new rules take effect as planned, the government will be forced to make some “very difficult and ugly” decisions on providing services to Parliament.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 15, 2025.