Official Languages Committee on Dec. 6th, 2007

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Minister.

[Josée Verner, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

I really have a right to answer?

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Yes, please.

[Josée Verner, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Thank you very much.

It involves a lot of things, of course, since the member from the Bloc Québécois has cited a long litany and outlined his moods concerning the official language communities.

The first thing I must say—

[Richard Nadeau, Bloc, Gatineau, QC]

Pardon me, Minister, but they aren't moods: this is an actual situation.

[Josée Verner, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Mr. Chairman, I'm prepared to cooperate, to come and answer questions from colleagues around this table. However, if, from the moment I open my mouth, that doesn't suit the Bloc Québécois member and he doesn't allow me to answer, I find it hard to see how I can do my job and cooperate in this democratic exercise.

I'll resume what I was saying.

It was very clear in the Throne Speech that the government made a commitment to linguistic duality and that it recognized French, in particular as a founding language of Canada. That said, Mr. Chair, the Bloc Québécois voted against it. Today, when the member from the Bloc Québécois stands as an ardent defender of the communities and of linguistic duality in Canada, it is I who am a bit skeptical. I think we have to ensure that we offer the minority communities services and education and provide them with the necessary tools across the country, to enable them to live to their full potential and to ensure their vitality.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you, Minister.

We should find a modus vivendi and more effectively manage the time that must be shared between the witness and parliamentarians. I appeal to your sense of collaboration.

Mr. Godin.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I would like to welcome the minister.

We live in a democratic country where you love to give answers. That's what I heard earlier, I believe.

[Josée Verner, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Pardon me?

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

You want to be able to respond to the committee.

[Josée Verner, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Yes, absolutely.

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

I'd like to know why you chose to come here today. We asked you, by invitation, to talk about the Court Challenges Program. You know we are preparing a report. But you chose not to talk about it at all in your address, not at all.

Furthermore, the Standing Committee on Official Languages made 39 recommendations in May. In those recommendations, it asked what the Conservative government's position was on the Court Challenges Program. Once again, Minister, you chose not to answer our question at all.

Why has the Conservative government cancelled the Court Challenges Program? You say you're listening to the Canadian population.

We did a national tour. We went from St. John's, Newfoundland to Vancouver. All the communities told us that that would affect the minority communities in Canada. We don't need Bernard Lord to tell us that, I can guarantee you. If there are French-language schools in Prince Edward Island, it's thanks to the Court Challenges Program. If there are French-language schools in Nova Scotia, it's thanks to the Court Challenges Program. If we were able to separate the school boards in New Brunswick and finally have French-language school boards, it's thanks to the Court Challenges Program. If we still have the Montfort Hospital and if a small amount of $75,000 was provided to finish the challenges, once again it's thanks to the Court Challenges Program.

And before a committee where you were asked to come and tell us about Court Challenges, you avoid the subject.

I would like some answers, Minister. I'll let you give the answers you want. If you still want to avoid the subject, I'll let you do that because you've been quite successful so far.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Minister.

[Josée Verner, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

I thank the member for his questions. I'd like to recall two things. I understand that the committee examined the issue of the Court Challenges Program. I'm going to wait for the committee's report and will look at the various elements it contains.

As regards the Court Challenges Program as such, as you know, sir, that matter is the subject of a court case and I cannot comment on it at this time.

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

That's incredible. It's quite simply incredible. You can't comment on a program that you've cut.

What are you going to do if dear Mr. Lord, whom you've appointed, visits all the communities and all the communities tell him that they want to see the Court Challenges Program reinstated?

Bravo! You decided that the meetings would be held in camera. Bravo! I think you decided that because you don't want people to speak publicly in front of Canadians.

Isn't that in fact the reason? You need to have a good explanation to conduct this consultation in camera when you claim to be a transparent government.

[Josée Verner, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Mr. Chairman, I recall that we also have online consultations. It's obviously accessible to everyone.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Hon. Josée Verner]

Mr. Chairman, we're talking about assumptions here. The purpose of the consultation conducted by Mr. Lord is to gather as many points of view as possible from the groups whose ideas we would like to hear and to discover the vision of linguistic duality in Canada. Among other things, I'm thinking of groups like the second-language teachers and other groups of that kind.

[Josée Verner, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

At the end of the consultation conducted by Mr. Lord, we'll see what different themes have been addressed.

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

Mr. Lord, Mr. Chairman, was Premier of New Brunswick. Today it's announced that French is losing ground in New Brunswick. Good job, Mr. Lord!

In his press conference, the Prime Minister very clearly said that Mr. Lord had made decisions such as, for example, appointing a Commissioner of Official Languages in New Brunswick in 2003.

We've had a federal Commissioner of Official Languages for years and years. He submits recommendations to the government that you don't consider. Do you agree with us?

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you, Mr. Godin.

Minister, perhaps you could give a very brief answer.

[Josée Verner, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Mr. Chairman, as I said in my speech, and I probably escaped the member's attention—

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

I was very attentive, Minister.

[Josée Verner, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

When the time comes to implement the next phase of the Action Plan for Official Languages, all the reports prepared will have been considered.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Very well, thank you very much.

We'll now move over to the government side.

Mr. Pierre Lemieux.