Official Languages Committee on March 5th, 2009

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

I am of the same opinion as Mr. Nadeau.

Mr. Loyd clearly pointed out that this issue is not our responsibility. And it's not because we want to wash our hands of it. Since this standardization will make a difference especially in the field of education, this does not come under our jurisdiction, and therefore, we have done everything in our power.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Excellent. The subject is closed. Thank you for your comments.

I have been told that you have received a copy of the budget. Do you have any comments or questions on the budget regarding our study of post-secondary institutions?

[Richard Nadeau, Bloc, Gatineau, QC]

I call for the adoption.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Mr. Petit, you have a question.

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

Do you think that's sufficient? We have scheduled four meetings, and many witnesses will be coming from elsewhere. You won't go far with a budget of $26,950.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

That's a good point. There are 20 witnesses. We will distribute the list of witnesses who are scheduled to testify for our study. That may answer your question, Mr. Petit. It is really the centrepiece of our main study. Members of the team are currently distributing documents, the list of potential witnesses.

As you can see, we have a lot of work before us. I will ask the clerk to explain the list of potential witnesses.

[The Clerk of the Committee, Mrs. Isabelle Dumas]

We met with the analysts and what is proposed in this list is what was most useful in helping us carry out a structured study.

At the first meeting, we must meet with the federal organizations. As Jean-Rodrigue explained to me, they are the lead agencies. They are grouped this way to make our study meaningful. I don't know whether Julian wanted to add anything.

[Julian Walker, Committee Researcher]

No, not today.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

So we have four very busy, full-up meetings. As for the fifth meeting, Mr. Chong's proposal sought to hear from private institutions. We could hold one or two meetings for that purpose.

There are several associations and we have scheduled five meetings. Should we not add to the list of witnesses?

That brings us to the budget. We could discuss the budget and finalize it. If the committee members agree, we could increase the number of meetings.

Mr. Rodriguez, do you have a question? And then Mr. Nadeau.

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

Do I understand that the five meetings deal with the subject, but that there are other meetings in between? The Olympic Games for example, are a fairly pressing issue.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Yes, that's right. The idea was to conduct our main study on Thursdays and to alternate with other topics on Tuesdays.

Next week we will have two meetings to lay the groundwork.

Mr. Nadeau

[Richard Nadeau, Bloc, Gatineau, QC]

Mr. Chair, concerning the fifth meeting, I presume that these are the institutions that were suggested, but that you have not yet contacted them to find out whether they will be testifying. Is that correct?

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Yes. We could make a selection, on the recommendation of the members, or increase the number of meetings. I am sure that we can constitute a representative sample.

Mr. Chong, I'm pleased to have you intervene on this issue you've been championing for a while.

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

Thanks.

Why has the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada refused to appear?

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

To answer your question, as we are entering into our own study, the Commissioner of Official Languages is also entering into a study.

We got their comment expressing the fact that they were to meet the commissioner and they felt.... I made it clear that we were doing our own study and were willing to have them as witnesses even though they were to testify elsewhere. It would be in the Senate or elsewhere.

Are there any suggestions?

There are a dozen universities. We could make two or three groups.

I'm going to remind you of the committee's role. By inviting the institutions, we'll be sending them a very clear message. They will have to prepare.

Mr. Nadeau.

[Richard Nadeau, Bloc, Gatineau, QC]

In addition to the universities that appear here, I would like the Université du Québec en Outaouais, the UQO, to be represented. It won't cost us any more than a taxi ride, so we'll save a lot of money.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Mr. Chong.

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

Just to reiterate, I don't really care which particular anglophone university we invite. I don't think we need to invite all of them, but I think it's important to have at least one or two anglophone universities in front of our committee so that we can ask them some questions about why they're not producing the graduates we need for the bilingual public service.

If we're only inviting francophone universities, they're clearly fulfilling the need we have—generally, francophones tend to be bilingual—but clearly the anglophone universities in most parts of the country aren't coming anywhere near producing the kinds of graduates we need. I think it's important that we have at least two, possibly three, anglophone universities present, to be able to ask them these questions.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you, Mr. Chong.

Ms. Glover.

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I want to encourage the committee to follow some of the direction the commissioner provided when he said that Manitoba is an example.

[A voice]

Yes, that's right.

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

And we're not represented in this list. I would encourage us to consider inviting

the Collège universitaire de Saint-Boniface because it is an extremely forward-looking institution. I don't know why it's not on the list, but I would like it to be invited.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

It's a done thing now, Madam Glover.

Is there anything else?

In any case, we can hold two or three meetings with universities.

If we hold two meetings with the universities, given that we're in budget mode, we will have to provide for some flexibility. Is the budget sufficient, to come back to Mr. Petit's question?

Mr. Nadeau.

[Richard Nadeau, Bloc, Gatineau, QC]

Mr. Chair, let us adopt the budget as it stands, and if needed, we can come back and see if we can stretch the elastic. Is that in the rules?