Are you all in agreement?
Evidence of meeting #34 for Official Languages in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was cuts.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #34 for Official Languages in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was cuts.
A recording is available from Parliament.
10:40 a.m.
Conservative
Daniel Petit Conservative Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC
I have a question for the mover of the motion.
When you say: “...for publications for official language communities...”, you mean in the country? That is what you are referring to, right?
And for the official language communities, do you mean that this also applies to Quebec?
10:40 a.m.
Liberal
Jean-Claude D'Amours Liberal Madawaska—Restigouche, NB
When we refer to rural communities, it means the regions.
10:40 a.m.
Conservative
Daniel Petit Conservative Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC
But when we speak of official language communities, does that apply to Quebec?
10:40 a.m.
Liberal
Jean-Claude D'Amours Liberal Madawaska—Restigouche, NB
When we talk about rural communities, we are talking about regions and when we talk about official language communities, it means francophones outside Quebec and anglophones in Quebec.
10:40 a.m.
Conservative
Daniel Petit Conservative Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC
Right. But there are rural communities everywhere in Canada.
10:40 a.m.
Conservative
Daniel Petit Conservative Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC
Are you merging rural communities and official language communities? Does it mean you need to be an official language rural community or a rural community—
10:40 a.m.
Liberal
Jean-Claude D'Amours Liberal Madawaska—Restigouche, NB
No, because there is an "and" which means "also".
10:40 a.m.
Liberal
Jean-Claude D'Amours Liberal Madawaska—Restigouche, NB
To the words “official language communities”, my colleague Raymond Simard added the words: “living in a minority community” and what comes afterwards, but we are talking about the conjunction “and”. It that right?
So, it would be worded as follows: “...for publications serving rural communities and official language minority communities.”
10:40 a.m.
Conservative
10:40 a.m.
Conservative
Pierre Lemieux Conservative Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON
I believe that I am asking the same question. We are sitting on the Standing Committee on Official Languages and I agree with this motion concerning the official language communities.
We can find official language minority communities, but the word "rural" is less specific. What is the real meaning of the word "rural"?
For example, if a city newspaper is an urban one, but part of its circulation is rural, does it count? What is the definition of rural? Why are we speaking of rural communities here at the Standing Committee on Official Languages?
10:40 a.m.
Bloc
Vivian Barbot Bloc Papineau, QC
Is the name of the program not the Publications Assistance Program for publications serving rural communities? No. You are telling me that that is not the name of the program.
The name of the program is the Publications Assistance Program?
10:40 a.m.
Liberal
Jean-Claude D'Amours Liberal Madawaska—Restigouche, NB
As far as I know, the program currently applies to any publications being mailed out: whether a magazine or a newspaper. That is the current situation.
10:40 a.m.
Liberal
Jean-Claude D'Amours Liberal Madawaska—Restigouche, NB
English and French, provided that it is mailed. The program was linked to Canada Post. Thus, all these publications would benefit from this arrangement.
For example, if a newspaper were distributed in what is called ad-bags, and was not delivered by Canada Post, then my understanding is that it would not be eligible for the funds because there were no mailing-related costs involved.
