Official Languages Committee on March 3rd, 2009

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Procedure dictates that we must start by voting on the amendment to invite Treasury Board officials.

I still have to hear from Mr. Rodriguez and Ms. Glover. Then we'll cut the vote on the amendment.

Mr. Rodriguez.

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Honoré-Mercier, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The motion is very important because it deals with a major change to the internal structure of government. It's important to have the minister appear because the buck stops with him.

We could possibly start by inviting the officials to give us a bit of context and then decide whether or not we invite the minister. We also have the option of inviting the minister right from the outset, because the buck stops with him. And he may or may not wish to bring his officials with him. That would give us an opportunity of getting answers from high up.

So I'm against Ms. Glover's motion to invite the officials and support instead Ms. Zarac's original motion, which was to invite the minister.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

I see.

Ms. Glover.

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

I want to be very clear. I never said that. I find it unacceptable that you're trying to put words into other peoples' mouths. I never said that I did not want the president to appear. I said that I'd like us to start by inviting the officials and then ascertain whether we need to invite the president. To be fair, I wanted to clarify that.

I agree that we need to invite someone to explain these matters and I want that to be indicated in the record.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you very much.

We'll proceed with the vote on the amendment that the Standing Committee on Official Languages invite officials from the Treasury Board and, thereafter, the president.

(Amendment negatived)

We'll now vote on the motion.

(Motion agreed to)

Before we conclude, I'd like to ask members to give me their witness lists for the post-secondary and Olympic Games studies. As you know, we're trying to group various topics.

Let's get back to today's subject. If we're able to reach consensus quickly we can dispose of the matter. Do you want to prepare a report on the possible standardization of braille at this current juncture? We could also debate this at a later stage.

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Honoré-Mercier, QC]

I just have one comment to make: who are we to write a report on a topic we know absolutely nothing about? We realized this this morning. We have no business issuing a report or telling anybody what to do, because we have no idea of what is going on in that area.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

I'll hear from a representative of each party on that issue.

[Daniel Petit, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

I'd at least like the committee to take a stance. Education is a provincial area of jurisdiction, but setting standards is a federal responsibility. I'd like the committee to speak to the protection of Canadian standards which are already in use, and to lend its support. Indeed, people are going to end up with a French code which you can't apply in Quebec and which will marginalize my province. That's what I don't agree with.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you.

Mr. Chong.

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills, ON]

Mr. Chair, are you asking for ideas?

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

I'm asking for advice on whether we are to provide a report on the study on access to information for print-disabled Canadians. Initially, we were supposed to have one or two meetings on that issue, and now it seems that there's some issue that has raised the interest of the members.

I'm raising the point about whether or not we are willing to have a report, yes or no. I want to have some instructions so that I can give some advice to the analyst, whether it's just on a more passive mode or whether he has to take action.

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills, ON]

Didn't you mention something about witnesses for our study...?

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Yes. I invite all the members to present their lists of witnesses for the post-secondary education study and the Olympic Games in Vancouver.

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills, ON]

Can I make a suggestion?

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Yes.

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills, ON]

I think it's important to have a couple of university presidents from predominantly anglophone universities appear in front of our committee. I know we're probably going to invite the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, but I actually want to be able to listen to somebody like the president of the University of Toronto, or the president of the University of Guelph or the University of British Columbia, and actually ask them questions about why they're not producing the bilingual graduates we need in the public service.

I think it would be useful for the committee to hear from them as to why they're not providing us with those graduates so that they themselves become aware of this issue. If it's simply the association that represents universities, by the time it trickles back to the university president, it's not going to have the same impact as it is if we ask them, in a very friendly manner, questions with respect to the graduates they produce.

My suggestion on the list of witnesses is that at least one or two from big anglophone universities are invited to appear in front of our committee with respect to the study on post-secondary education.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Your point is taken and noted.

I also wanted to mention to the committee that we've invited several stakeholders to discuss post-secondary education. We may put forward a new list of witnesses and may have to increase the number of meetings that we'd originally planned on, if that suits you.

Mr. Nadeau.

[Richard Nadeau, Bloc, Gatineau, QC]

I have a comment about the report on standardizing French braille.

In my opinion, in order for the committee to produce a report, and given that we've heard two completely different perspectives, I think we need to have further meetings, and I don't think anybody wants to do that. I think that we should simply say that we've received interesting information. An official record of the proceeding will be released and that's an official document that people will be able to refer to. I don't think that we should be taking an in-depth look at the issue nor do I think we should delay moving ahead with our schedule to draft a report on the meetings we have held.

We cannot speak to this because we've heard opinions, both last week and this week, which were diametrically opposed. And we're not here to adjudicate the matter. In my opinion, we've both heard and learned things. The official record is available, and those who wish to consult it can do so, but personally, I don't feel that I'm in any position to make a recommendation in either direction.

Let's forget about the report on standardizing Braille and get on with the business as planned. Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you, Mr. Nadeau. We'll be hearing from two more witnesses. In fact, we'll be hearing from four witnesses on Thursday on the same topic.

[Richard Nadeau, Bloc, Gatineau, QC]

Well, let's drag it out.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Mr. Rodriguez.

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Honoré-Mercier, QC]

Very briefly, I suggest that for the next study we submit a written list and then put it together and send it back and we discuss it.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Excellent. Thank you very much and have a good day.

This meeting is adjourned.