Thank you very much.
I would like to take a few minutes to clarify one point and I hope that this time will not be taken off my five minutes.
I am the sole proprietor of two businesses, one of which is a consulting business that has had Elections Canada contracts. When I became President of the FCFA I entrusted the management of my two businesses to a third party. I therefore cannot tell you if that business still has contracts with Elections Canada at this point in time. However, I would be happy to give you any information you require. I can provide you with copies of current or previous contracts if the committee so wishes.
That said, I am appearing today as President of the FCFA of Canada and it is in that capacity that I will be speaking.
Thank you for inviting the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada to appear before you today.
The FCFA is the principal spokesperson for 2.6 million Canadian men and women who speak French in nine provinces and three territories. The federation's mission is to foster the vitality of francophone and Acadian communities, support the promotion of linguistic duality throughout the country and advocate for the rights of French-speaking Canadian men and women in minority situations. The federation also plays a leadership role with the network of organizations and institutions within the Canadian francophonie.
To our knowledge, no one has to date examined Bill C-23 from the perspective of the obligations set out in the Official Languages Act. That is what we will be speaking about today. In that sense, there are two aspects of Bill C-23 that we are greatly concerned about.
I will speak first about section 7 of the bill.
The changes proposed in the bill will put an end to the Chief Electoral Officer's power to communicate with the public in order to inform them about the electoral process. From our communities' perspective, this would mean that the Chief Electoral Officer would no longer be able to initiate information programs in order to promote participation in the democratic process by francophone citizens in minority communities.
That civic education and public information role would be left to political parties. However, contrary to the Chief Electoral Officer, they are not bound by the Official Languages Act. So how will francophones be encouraged to vote in those areas where our communities are either spread far apart or where they are a very small minority? Will anyone bother?
Restricting the ability of the Chief Electoral Officer to communicate with francophone minority communities goes against the spirit of part VII of the Official Languages Act. Under part VII, the federal government is committed to enhancing the vitality of English and French minorities in Canada and supporting their development, as well as fostering the full recognition and use of both English and French in Canadian society.
The FCFA is therefore opposed to the proposed changes under section 7 of the bill. In fact, if any change is made to section 18 to the Canada Elections Act, it should be with a view to strengthening the Chief Electoral Officer's obligations towards official language minority communities. A provision could be added that would clearly define the Chief Electoral Officer's role in promoting civic participation of these communities by exercising their democratic rights. That is what we recommend to this committee.
We are equally concerned about the changes being proposed under sections 18, 19, 21 and 44 of the bill.
Currently, under the Canada Elections Act, deputy returning officers and poll clerks are appointed based on a list of candidates provided by the party that came first or second in that riding during the previous election. This current provision is already very problematic for francophone citizens who wish to receive services in the official language of their choice at polling stations.
Far from resolving this problem, the proposed changes extend this process to other positions, including that of central poll supervisor, and add party associations and political parties to the list of bodies that can recommend candidates for these positions. Neither the candidates, nor the party associations, nor the political parties themselves have any obligations under the Official Languages Act. This means that Elections Canada, a body that is, would no longer be able to ensure that the candidates on those lists for election officers' positions would be able to comply with those obligations.
How will we be able to prevent that situation from getting worse in a context where Elections Canada is not able to ensure that election officers have the ability to provide services in both official languages?
The FCFA is therefore opposed to the measures proposed in sections 18, 19, 21 and 44 of Bill C-23.
The FCFA also recommends that the positions being filled by the same process under the current Canada Elections Act be filled through Elections Canada and not through a list submitted by the candidates, who are not bound by the act.
The democratic rights guaranteed by the charter not only include the right to vote, but also the right to effective representation and the right to play a significant role in the electoral process. In our opinion, Bill C-23 in its current form infringes on the right of electors in francophone and Acadian communities to exercise their rights.
Thank you. I am happy to answer any questions you may have.