Official Languages Committee on April 29th, 2008

[John Furlong]

Yes, they will.

[Richard Nadeau, Bloc, Gatineau, QC]

I am also referring to the coaches and the entire team.

[John Furlong]

Yes, they will.

[Richard Nadeau, Bloc, Gatineau, QC]

There is provision for all of that already.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.

[The Vice-Chair, Liberal, Pablo Rodriguez]

Thank you, Mr. Nadeau.

We'll now go to Mr. Richardson.

[Lee Richardson, Conservative, Calgary Centre, AB]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you, Mr. Furlong and Ms. Bolduc, for being here today.

This is very helpful, and I'm sensing that there are things you have some control over and some things you don't—the TV contract particularly—and I guess my sense of it is that you don't own the Olympic Games. The Olympic Games are an international organization. We've been blessed and have the honour in Canada of hosting the games. You are the hosts and doing a remarkable job, I think. But this is something that all countries, or many countries, want to bid on, to have the Olympic Games. But you don't own the games; you don't control the games. Although it's based in Switzerland, it really is without nationality. It's an international organization.

This became clearer with the questions from Monsieur Godin and Monsieur Nadeau. It seems that you're doing the best you can to have an influence on that. The Olympics have two official languages, French and English, which is convenient to us. But what you've done, what you've reported here today, would suggest to me that we've come a long way, even since the Olympic Games in Montreal. I think these are probably going to be more bilingual games in Canada than even Montreal was, certainly more than Calgary, although they did try considerably. I think we've moved a long way, and I congratulate you on the effort you're making to do that.

Could you just then clarify—the difference seems to be here in the broadcasting distribution—that all of the events, all of the organization, everything, the production that goes on, is essentially in both languages?

[John Furlong]

It is.

[Lee Richardson, Conservative, Calgary Centre, AB]

So everything that you do as an organizing committee is in both languages.

[John Furlong]

It is, and interestingly, although I am not the expert by any means, I would say that the city of Vancouver in general has quite embraced it. We've come a long way in this period of time from events that would be staged in one language to events that are staged in both languages, where we have capacity and proficiency, and it's expected and it's applauded. That's a giant leap from where we were in 1996 when we started out, but even with that, it's never going to be good enough. We have to not take our foot off the gas and apply as much pressure as we possibly can.

I have to say, I mean, that I'm a bit troubled that these gentlemen are troubled. We are too, and I just would want them to know that it's not something we're not paying attention to. We are talking to everybody we can, because I do not want to get to the finish of the games and have someone say, “Gosh, you know, this was a terrific performance, except that you let us down in this area.” But it's influences, and we have people's attention, but will we be able to get them there? With everybody working together, I think it's possible that we can achieve the result you're speaking about, but in all the other areas, I would say it's going quite well.

[Lee Richardson, Conservative, Calgary Centre, AB]

Thank you very much.

[The Vice-Chair, Liberal, Pablo Rodriguez]

That's it? Thank you, Mr. Richardson.

Okay, we go now to Monsieur Godin.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I know I keep coming back to the television issue. Like others, Mr. Richardson asked what will happen at the Olympic Games. I must say that I am impressed. I am not looking for thanks, but what I hear about the airport, the greeting people will receive, bilingualism... We will be in a better position to pass judgment after the fact.

I come back to the fact that Canadians are entitled to feel that Canada, not just Vancouver, is hosting the Olympic Games. As a result, they must be able to watch the games in the language of their choice. You said that you can exert some influence, but I am not satisfied with that. You are the organization that has been in discussion with the IOC. I have still not heard whose responsibility it is to say that in Canada the Olympics must be broadcast in the two official languages. It is not complicated to say that you cannot answer that question.

[John Furlong]

Mr. Godin, unless I could see inside the contract that was written between CTV and the IOC, it's not possible for me to give you a clear answer to that question. But if there is--

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

But CTV is not the Government of Canada; it's a private broadcaster. CTV has no responsibility for it. When somebody says to the IOC that when you look at television you need to deal with it in the two languages, I cannot blame CTV. In my view, CTV doesn't have that responsibility. Somebody has the responsibility to say to the IOC that when they negotiate with a Canadian broadcaster they have to negotiate that, it has to be, it's a must. We are officially bilingual. We want Canadians across the country to get it in both languages, and they will not.

[John Furlong]

I think it's a little early to say they will not, because you'd have to have been present for some of the discussions. There is a desire to find a solution. There is no one saying this is not their problem. There is no one saying this is a bad idea. It's trying to get everybody who can possibly help--

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

The reason I say that, Mr. Furlong, is that I went through the Canada Games in Bathurst, and they did not.

[John Furlong]

Yes.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

And I think repetition is coming back because of the formula. CTV doesn't have that responsibility.

[John Furlong]

No, but CTV is interested in helping to solve it. I've spoken to them directly. Everybody wants a solution. I think--

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

I'm changing the subject ,and I think you'll probably be pleased at that.

[John Furlong]

That's okay.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

The other thing is that when you appeared at the Senate, they were talking about money or resources coming from the official languages office. And you said, “I do feel concerned at the level of resources available within that official languages office”. Do you feel like that today, or what did you mean by that?

[John Furlong]

I'm not sure that's a quote.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

“I do feel concerned at the level of resources available....”

[John Furlong]

I didn't make any comment about the resources available.