Official Languages Committee on Oct. 27th, 2009

[Monique Guay, Bloc, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

Give us the information. That's what I expected in your speech this morning. I expected much more technical information where I would find those figures.

[Louise McEvoy]

Yes.

[Monique Guay, Bloc, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

Ms. McEvoy, I'm asking you to give the committee those figures so that we can really observe this, and I'm also asking you to really make an extra effort. You see that the people are there. You can very well find bilingual personnel, and it will be quite a bit more pleasant for travellers. Otherwise, you'll lose customers. That goes together.

[Louise McEvoy]

Absolutely, yes.

[Monique Guay, Bloc, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

People will say they no longer choose Air Canada; that's clear. I'm inviting you to make a very big effort in that direction. I know you are, but perhaps you're not doing enough. That's why I'm asking you to do more.

[Louise McEvoy]

All right. Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you.

You have 10 seconds left, Mr. Nadeau.

[Richard Nadeau, Bloc, Gatineau, QC]

Earlier you said that there was trouble with the union over bilingualism. VIA Rail and its union went to court because the corporation said that services had to be offered in both languages, and VIA Rail won. The unions now accept that.

If Air Canada wants bilingualism, it will do what it has to do to tell its employees that this is an obligation under the act and that the corporation is bilingual and that, if necessary, it will go to court, which will say more on that subject.

Please pull up your socks and do what you have to do for bilingualism because that's not what you're doing now.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

I refer you to page 2 of the Library of Parliament document, which mentions a judgment in 2005 following the merger, Mr. Nadeau. It refers to a decision rendered concerning the Official Languages Act.

There, we've completed our speeches.

Ms. Glover, I believe you had a request to make to Air Canada.

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

I'll briefly make a request. I entirely agree with all the members that there is a problem because we haven't seen the advertisements placed for the purpose of recruiting bilingual persons in our own communities. I'm asking Air Canada please to provide us with the details on the advertisements that were placed. We will definitely help you. Mr. Godin has made some good suggestions concerning places where advertisements should be placed, etc. I know that Air Canada was a sponsor of Winnipeg's Festival du Voyageur, but there was no recruitment.

[Louise McEvoy]

We'll provide you with the advertisements we placed this year and perhaps involve you to a greater degree. I know that, at our last appearance, in 2006, we had started informing you every time we had to recruit. I don't know whether that has continued or not, but we're going to restore the communication.

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

In my community, immigrants often complain that they can't find jobs in French. These are immigrants from francophone countries. So we could help you as well.

Thank you very much.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you very much, Ms. Glover.

To borrow the title of the award you give your employees for service in the official languages, I would like to thank you this morning for starting this “dialogue” with committee members and I am confident it will continue in a constructive manner.

We are going to suspend the proceedings for a few minutes before moving on to examine current committee business, which will be done in camera.

Thank you.

[Proceedings continue in camera]