Federal departments and agencies are failing to provide Canadians with adequate service in both English and French, the country's two official languages, a Canadian parliamentary watchdog said Tuesday. Graham Fraser, Canada's Commissioner of Official Languages, said the national government has not created an equitable workplace and is falling well short in promoting Canada's linguistic duality. Under a federal law, people in the country have the right to services across the country in French and English. About 80 percent of Canadians speak English, while another 20 percent of Canadians, mainly living in the eastern province of Quebec, speak French. There are, however, small pockets of French-speakers across Canada, and about 12 percent of Quebec's 10 million people speak English. Fraser issued his 2009-2010 annual report on official languages, Beyond Obligations, which says about 20 percent of government employees in bilingual areas of the country, such as the national capital, felt they could not use the language of their choice at work because there were not enough people around them who understood it. He said the national government acts as though it does not want to encourage the use of two languages in the workplace. Fraser said the government has not provided enough French training to English-speaking employees, leaving them unqualified for senior positions in the public service that require knowledge of both. What's more, he found only 10 out of 16 institutions were able to provide bilingual service more than 80 percent of the time where required. 'Canadians are generally tolerant and accommodating, but they do expect to be treated fairly and equitably. Unfortunately, too many institutions wait until they have received a complaint or a very poor score on their report card before making half-hearted efforts in offering services in both English and French,' Fraser said at a news conference on Tuesday. 'Federal institutions should willingly, instinctively and proactively fulfill their responsibilities under the Official Languages Act,' said Fraser. 'The vision of a public service where English and French enjoy equal status as languages of work has still not been achieved,' Fraser said. While most language complaints come from French-speakers living outside Quebec, the small English-speaking minority in Quebec also feels discriminated against, as Quebec law strictly limits the use of English in the workplace and in advertising, and bars French-speaking children from English schools. 'The Government of Canada must ensure that the English-speaking Community of Quebec is consulted on matters that affect the vitality and sustainability of the nearly 1 million Canadians who are members of this linguistic minority community,' said Linda Leith, president of Quebec Community Group Network, a group of 36 English organizations. 