Official Languages Committee on March 3rd, 2009

[Richard Nadeau, Bloc, Gatineau, QC]

So there has already been some standardization. Under the so-called French standardization—

[Jasmine Gallant]

You have asked a $100-question and not a $10-question.

[Richard Nadeau, Bloc, Gatineau, QC]

I will send you the cheque.

[Jacques Côté]

If I may, I would like to raise a point in order to clarify the situation properly.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Be brief, sir.

[Jacques Côté]

Mr. Nemeth, whose first name is Abraham, tabled his code, how can I say—

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Mr. Côté, you will have time to reformulate your thoughts. We will now give the floor to another colleague, Ms. Shelly Glover, who is the Parliamentary Secretary for Official Languages.

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

Thank you for coming. I will give you time to complete your thoughts, Mr. Côté. I will then ask you another question. Please go ahead.

[Jacques Côté]

It will be very quick. Mr. Nemeth invented his code and tabled it. This code satisfied one requirement, which pertained to everything concerning mathematics, sciences, chemistry, physics. This was a way of transcribing into braille everything that is done in a scientific or mathematical format, starting in grade one right until the PhD and even post-doctorate level. He developed this code in order to transcribe scientific reality. If we had only to transcribe novels, we wouldn't need the Nemeth Code because novels are words, whereas a mathematics or science text does not read easily like a novel. In Quebec, the Antoine Code will replace the Nemeth Code.

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

Mr. Côté, I come from Manitoba. We obviously have visually-impaired people in this province who use braille. You gave a very good explanation of the Quebec version, but you said that visually-impaired people outside of Quebec will not be using the same code.

Ms. Gallant, you described the situation in New Brunswick.

I would like to know what is going on in Manitoba. Which code is being used? Which code do francophones using braille in Manitoba use?

[Jasmine Gallant]

They use the same code as we do.

[Jacques Côté]

They use the code that they have been using up until now.

[Jasmine Gallant]

The code described by Mr. Côté is the Quebec version that may be implemented in September 2009. We are not going to be doing that.

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

It is really Canadian. It is something that is used throughout Canada.

[Jasmine Gallant]

Not this Quebec version, no.

[Jacques Côté]

No. It is clearly stated in the documents we gave you that this new code applies exclusively to Quebec. So the situation in your region remains the same, unless one day you find some money and human resources in order to train your teachers and children.

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

As a mother, I am wondering how our children are going to manage if we change the code. How are they going to manage? How will this affect them emotionally, not only with respect to the difficulties associated with reading and doing school work, but also with respect to their emotions? Would you agree?

[Jacques Côté]

No. I gave you my position: I do not want nor desire change. I asked a very simple question: where are the benefits? Where are the benefits associated with this change? If someone can tell me what the benefits are, I will be the first to go ahead with the changes. There are no benefits; quite the opposite, these changes create additional problems. For those francophones outside Quebec, the difficulties will be even greater.

[Jasmine Gallant]

And especially for our children. In the educational sector, it does not make any sense whatsoever to even think about introducing something completely new in their learning.

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

Thank you. I agree with all of my colleagues who have given their opinions. You have shed light on this issue. There is a great deal of information to absorb and I think it was very important to hear from you as witnesses.

Do you have any other information to provide us that does not deal with the school programs? Do you see other problems aside from those related to the school programs?

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Unfortunately, I must stop you, Mrs. Glover. I thought that you were about to conclude but you asked another question.

Our second round has now been completed. Some members have expressed a wish to do a third and final round, because we want to deal with our motion this morning. So we will begin a third round, and we will give the floor to representatives from each political party.

Mrs. Zarac, from the official opposition, you may begin.

[Lise Zarac, Liberal, LaSalle—Émard, QC]

I would like to thank the witnesses for coming here today. Honestly, we were all a little bit confused at the beginning, but you did clarify things for us at the end. At the outset, we thought that standardization was a good thing.

I would like to look at this table once again, simply to better understand it. It is about braille as it exists. If I understand correctly, right now French is different from English. Two different alphabets are used.

[Jasmine Gallant]

No, not necessarily. The first part of the table explains what is happening right now.

[Lise Zarac, Liberal, LaSalle—Émard, QC]

So the symbols are different.

[Jasmine Gallant]

The printout is similar.