Official Languages Committee on Nov. 7th, 2006

[Guy André, Bloc, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

We should support volunteers.

[Paul d'Entremont]

Yes.

[Guy André, Bloc, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

Among permanent staff and in organizations.

[Paul d'Entremont]

Financial support from the federal government or through federal-provincial agreements isn't enough to meet all needs at all times. Volunteers have to give their time and combine their efforts to get the job done.

[Guy André, Bloc, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

It's a political decision that has an impact on your community.

[Paul d'Entremont]

Absolutely, and especially on a community like ours, in Nova Scotia, where 90% of our Francophone Acadians live in rural areas, not urban areas.

[Guy André, Bloc, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

Has the Court Challenges Program been used by the people of Nova Scotia, and for what purposes?

[Paul d'Entremont]

It's mainly been used in education.

[Guy André, Bloc, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

For schools?

[Paul d'Entremont]

For schools. I don't think the Doucet case is settled yet. Let's hope it will be before March 31, when funding will be terminated.

The Court Challenges Program has been successful. As Ms. Thorne mentioned earlier, the idea isn't to challenge what the federal government does, but what's done by the provincial government, which doesn't meet its obligations.

In Nova Scotia, it's like elsewhere: we have some catching up to do.

[The Vice-Chair, NDP, Yvon Godin]

You have a minute and a half left.

[Guy André, Bloc, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

You spoke about a new act on French-language services in Nova Scotia. Can you tell me a little about what that would contribute to the Francophone communities? It's a new act, isn't it?

[Alphonsine Saulnier]

It's a new act that was passed two years ago. It concerns French-language services in all the departments, not just Health. The community has been involved in introducing the regulations. There was a lot of consultation at first. The health field has been defined as one of the priorities for the offer of services in French.

This will make it possible to identify services and access to French-language services where there are concentrations of Acadians. The government has even identified the agencies concerned: this affects all the authorities where there are Francophones in the province. It also concerns third parties who work on contract, such as the VON and ambulance services.

Within three years, we should see an enormous change in French-language services in Nova Scotia, at all levels. The province has already established a “bonjour” identification system. Our own “bonjour” is blue. It's like the Nova Scotia blue. There's also a small yellow star. So you immediately recognize the professionals. That was implemented even before the regulations were revealed.

I think the province takes the issue of French-language services very seriously. I don't believe we need to convince you that health services in the language of the patient are important.

[The Vice-Chair, NDP, Yvon Godin]

Mr. Lemieux.

[Pierre Lemieux, Conservative, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you for your presentations. I think our meetings are really important because we've come here to listen to you. This also affords us the opportunity to make those who aren't aware understand the message.

I'd like to say that the government will be spending $81 million on literacy over the next two years.

I'd also like to mention, with regard to early childhood, that we intended to create 125,000 child care spaces across Canada. Minister Finley struck a committee to find the best way to create those spaces. We'd also like to work directly with specific associations and groups in the communities to establish those 125,000 spaces.

If you have any ideas to submit to us, please contact Minister Finley's office as soon as possible because we're looking for key information.

Ms. Saulnier, I was very pleased to hear you talk about health. The former commissioner said that the health sector deserved the gold medal for improving the services the government offers to the minority language communities.

You also talked about challenges. You mentioned a training program for paramedic-ambulance attendants. Do you have any other training programs? When you offer training, do people tend to stay here, in the province, to continue providing services?

[Alphonsine Saulnier]

Over the long term?

[Pierre Lemieux, Conservative, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

Over the long term, yes.

[Alphonsine Saulnier]

As Paul said earlier, I'm now a full-time volunteer, but a week and a half ago, I had a job. I was Director of the Health Professions Department at Université Sainte-Anne. I'll answer your question somewhat in that capacity.

There's the program for paramedic-ambulance attendants. We're also looking at the possibility of offering a similar program as part of the nursing program at the University of Moncton. The Université Sainte-Anne has already made the decision to put a program in place for nursing assistants. We also have the Acadie-Québec agreement for spaces in medicine in Quebec. There are three places for that: Sherbrooke, the University of Montreal and Laval University. I'm a nurse and social worker by training, and I think the key is to offer training as near as possible to home. To do that, you have to be very creative. For example, the agreement concerning our medical students provides, among other things, that those students do their practicums back home.

We know we'll never have a Francophone faculty of medicine in Nova Scotia. So we have to be creative and ensure that our students come back: that's the key, it seems to me. I'm sure that the New Brunswick people will tell you about that this afternoon. We have the opportunity to benefit from their experience and they're well disposed toward helping us put practicums in place for medical students in Nova Scotia. It isn't signed yet, but the first medical graduate under this agreement will very likely come back home to practise next summer. That's being negotiated. She's negotiating with the province to come and practise back home. We're very optimistic. She'd be the first and would attest to the major success in this file.

I believe that French-language training as close to home as possible is the key. That's why we have high hopes for the agreement with Sudbury. Students can study back home and take their courses remotely. They'll do practicums organized by our health professionals in Nova Scotia. Then they'll be on site and will know what it is to practise in Nova Scotia. Employers will come looking for them. In Nova Scotia, there's a shortage of health professionals in general, and the shortage is even greater among Francophone professionals. So we have to make major efforts to train and retain these young people.

[The Vice-Chair, NDP, Yvon Godin]

You have a minute and a half left.

[Pierre Lemieux, Conservative, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

As I said, we heard a presentation by the CNFS representatives. They talked about networks, provincial networks, but especially about the national network. They were really satisfied with the progress that has been made in this area, and I'm glad to hear you're working within a network on training.

[Alphonsine Saulnier]

In fact, we can't break out of the training triangle: there are networks, there's the department, and there's training. Not one of them can work without the others.

[Pierre Lemieux, Conservative, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

Thank you.

[The Vice-Chair, NDP, Yvon Godin]

Thank you, Mr. Lemieux.

As was the case in Prince Edward Island, member Godin will resume his place and ask his questions.

Mr. Saulnier talked about the Nova Scotia action plan for health services provided to minority Francophones. What kind of talks have you had with the province? I was wondering why my Bloc colleague hadn't asked any questions on health. That's because it's a provincial jurisdiction. I think the question has to be asked. We're wondering how this provincial health jurisdiction can be reconciled with the action plan. What does your action plan consist of? I know that Prince Edward Island has an action plan and that New Brunswick has one as well, and you're telling us that you have one too. Can you give us more details on your action plan and tell us how the federal action plan can better respond to the needs of the Francophone minorities?

[Alphonsine Saulnier]

We have an excellent collaborative relationship with the Department of Health. I think I can say that it's more than a collaboration. The network is having major success because it automatically includes the Department of Health. When network members have discussions, the department is already at the table. It's represented by the French-language services coordinator, who has been in that position since 2004.

So the network doesn't exist without the department. The department can exist without the network, but the latter doesn't exist without the department. The department has been there from the outset.

We're talking about the action plan. The first recommendation is that the role of the network as the mouthpiece of the Acadian community on health issues in Nova Scotia be made official. We're discussing with the department how to do that and what it all means in concrete terms. We already agree on the principle of the recommendation, that the network be the mouthpiece of the Acadian community. So we have very close relations with the department.

We were consulted concerning the regulations under the act. Public consultations were held for everyone, and we were also consulted on all health issues. So the relationship is very close. I believe the Department of Health would tell you that they don't make any decisions without seeking the networks' input.

This is a privileged relationship. I've never seen a similar relationship in any other area.

The other action plan recommendations concern much more concrete matters in terms of implementation, which will be done at the same time as the regulations are implemented. So there's a very close relationship between the network and the department.

[The Vice-Chair, NDP, Yvon Godin]

Now we'll begin the second round. Each of you will have five minutes.

Mr. D'Amours.