Official Languages Committee on Dec. 12th, 2012

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Welcome to the 65^th meeting of the Standing Committee on Official Languages on Wednesday, December 12, 2012. Pursuant to Standing Order 108, we are here to study the Canadian Heritage Official Languages Annual Report 2010-2011. Minister Moore is with us, and he is joined by two officials from the Department of Canadian Heritage: Mr. Jean and Mr. Lussier.

Welcome, everyone.

We will start with Minister Moore.

Mr. Godin, go ahead.

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

Mr. Chair, I just want to advise you that we want to introduce two motions. The first motion is as follows:

That the committee invite the Chairman of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), Jean-Pierre Blais, for a two-hour public and televised meeting before March 30, 2013, regarding the CRTC's obligations under the Official Languages Act.

The second motion reads as follows:

That the Committee invite the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Hon. Jason Kenney, for a two-hour public and televised meeting before March 30, 2013, regarding his department’s obligations under the Official Languages Act.

We are submitting copies in both official languages.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Thank you, Mr. Godin. We will discuss those two motions when we return at the end of January. Is that satisfactory?

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

That is fine, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Minister Moore, the floor is yours.

[James Moore, Conservative, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages]

Good afternoon, Mr. Chair and honourable members of the committee. I am very pleased to be appearing before you today, just before Christmas. I am here for two hours, or until we are called to vote.

First, I would like to acknowledge the work of this committee, particularly the report you tabled on November 8, regarding the Roadmap for Canada's Linguistic Duality. This is an important document that will be useful in our work on official languages.

Accompanying me today are Daniel Jean, Deputy Minister of Canadian Heritage and Hubert Lussier, Assistant Deputy Minister for Official Languages.

Our government's commitment to promoting our two official languages is indeed a commitment that we have made time and again, and we've delivered on.

As you know, in terms of area, Canada is the second largest country in the world, but in terms of population, Canada is the 34th largest country in the world. What unites us? In my view, it's our official languages, arts, culture—being able to share our stories and our history, to tell stories one to another across this very large country.

Our official languages are an advantage and an asset to Canadians and to Canada. That's why in budget 2012 our government made a decision to protect all of our funding and to celebrate Canada's linguistic duality going forward. We did this while making sure that the investments give tangible results to Canadians.

Again, in a difficult budget, where there were reductions in spending across the government, we made a deliberate decision not to cut a dime of funding to Canada's official languages, because we made a five-year commitment to a road map on official languages, a road map that this committee has been studying for some time.

Recently I released our department's annual report on official languages in order to continue the debate.

As I noted in the report, the Department of Canadian Heritage manages two major official languages support programs: one for the development of official language minority communities, and the other for the promotion of English and French in Canadian society.

Our actions under these programs are yielding genuine results. Here are a few examples.

More than 240,000 young people from official language minority communities are studying in their own language and 2.4 million young people are learning English or French as a second language. Enrollment in French immersion classes has increased by 10% over the last five years

We are helping to ensure that members of official language minority communities receive services in areas such as justice, culture, municipal services, and health. For example, 15 new healthcare training programs in French have been created since 2008, and, of more than 1,500 new alumni, 86% are working in official language minority communities.

In terms of immigration, the recruitment and integration of French-speaking immigrants initiative has established 121 points of service for newcomers in 24 cities across Canada.

Our funding also helps support the work that is being done by minority media groups, community centres and schools, youth and parental organizations across the country, as well as various cultural groups that help to promote English and French.

The annual report also outlines my role in helping to coordinate official languages across federal government institutions. All of these institutions have responsibilities with respect to official language communities and linguistic duality.

My department works with institutions across government to ensure that anglophone and francophone communities receive access to programs and services in the language of their choice, services in such areas as culture, social development, youth programming, and economic development.

As you know, we are preparing for the next phase of the roadmap, which concludes in March 2013.

During my appearance before your committee last May, I was preparing, along with my colleagues, to lead the largest consultation on official languages in the history of Canada. In the summer, we visited over 20 large and small communities throughout the country, and along with our online component, we heard from close to 2,600 Canadians. Today, I am pleased to be able to give the committee an update on what I heard during these consultations.

From these consultations, I was able to hear from both English- and French-speaking Canadians about their experiences. I heard that education is a priority for communities. Many participants stressed the importance of cooperation with the provinces and territories for teaching English and French as a second language. In addition, I heard that immigration is an important matter in any discussion of minority-community growth.

As you know, Statistics Canada recently released data regarding the linguistic makeup of our country. We can see that the proportion of Canadians who have English and French as their mother tongue has decreased, even though their numbers are growing. New Canadians with another mother tongue represent a larger part of the general population than ever before. We must consider how to integrate recent immigrants into their new setting so that they can succeed and benefit from the economic advantages of Canada's linguistic duality.

Canadians also reminded me that it's important for them to have access to health care in their own language. They also brought up the subject, time and again, of arts and culture. Through their activity, our artists and artisans showcase their communities to Canada and the world and help build a sense of belonging and an understanding of the value of both of Canada's official languages.

Finally, participants addressed the issue of economic development. They were interested in support for entrepreneurship, funding for the creative economy, and training to make it easier to get a job in the official language of their choice.

In the past five years, our government's funding under the road map has helped to promote our two official languages and to support the growth of English and French in minority communities across Canada.

Our government's aim is to ensure that our funding continues to yield real, tangible benefits to communities and to ensure that our funding helps promote both of our official languages. In our next road map, we will make sure that we manage the initiatives as effectively as possible.

Before concluding, I would like to say a few words about the committee's current study: linguistic duality during Canada's 150^th birthday celebrations in 2017.

Our country's official languages are an integral part of our collective heritage. They must also be part of the planning for anniversaries of national significance. In fact, we are already benefiting from the experience that we gained in recent years, whether during the 400^th anniversary of the founding of Quebec City in 2008 or the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Vancouver and Whistler.

We are also encouraging the use of both of our official languages at events taking place between now and 2017.

For example, in 2015 Canada will host the Pan Am and Parapan Am Games in Toronto. The organizers are already working with the francophone community to ensure that the games reflect Canada's linguistic duality and do so respectfully and with pride.

In 2017, Canada's 150th birthday will be a great opportunity for us to highlight the contribution of anglophones and francophones, past and present, to building our country to the strength that it is today.

I want to thank you for your attention and thank this committee for its work.

As well, thank you, Mr. Chairman, for inviting me.

Like all of you, we want to ensure that the government measures and our funding have real, direct, and tangible success for Canadians across our country in respecting, celebrating, and promoting both of Canada's official languages.

Thank you very much.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Thank you, Mr. Moore.

We have about one hour and 45 minutes for questions and comments.

We will start with Mr. Godin.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I would like to welcome Minister Moore to the Standing Committee on Official Languages.

My first question is about Bill C-419. I am pleased that the government has changed its approach and that it has now recognized that skill in both official languages is essential for certain positions, specifically for agents of Parliament.

Mr. Minister, we remember clearly that you do not support this bill. You have even said that it is useless.

Do you think that our bill is useless, yes or no?

[James Moore, Conservative, Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC]

My first reaction was to say that the bill was not necessarily useful, because, when filling these positions, government policy already provides for a search for candidates with whom each member of Parliament would be able to speak the official language of his or her choice. It is already government policy, so supporting this bill does not mean a great deal.

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

How can you say that it is government policy, when the government has appointed a unilingual anglophone who was forced to promise to learn French in one year, but who has not done so? If it is government policy, why not redo the process and look for a candidate who speaks both languages, in order to comply with official language rules? That is the reason why this bill was introduced.

Canadian Heritage is supposed to play a coordinating role and to encourage federal institutions to implement section 41 of Part VII of the Official Languages Act. But in recent months, we have seen federal institutions make decisions that seem to go against section 41, such as the closure of Fishery and Oceans' only French-language library at the Institut Maurice-Lamontagne, the closure of the only bilingual search and rescue centre in Canada, located in Quebec City, Industry Canada's broken promise to establish an official languages committee in companies under federal jurisdiction in Quebec. The government actually promised to establish a committee after the New Democratic Party tabled a bill. In addition, there have been cuts at Radio-Canada.

Is Canadian Heritage overseeing the budget cuts in other departments? What do you do when institutions make their cuts and close places of work without evaluating the consequences for official languages of doing so?

[James Moore, Conservative, Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC]

As the official opposition's spokesman on official languages, you should understand the Official Languages Act better. It says that each department is responsible for making sure that compliance with the Official Languages Act is required in all programs and policies implemented across the country. As to the library, the changes we have made to the policies do not mean that we have failed in our commitment to official languages. We have fulfilled it differently. It does not mean that we have put an end to our commitment to comply with the Official Languages Act.

You mentioned Radio-Canada. Have you read their plan for 2015?

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

Yes, we can see the cuts.

[James Moore, Conservative, Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC]

So you will have understood that one of the five paths laid out in their 2015 plan is to fully comply with their official language obligations in every region of the country, on each of its electronic platforms and on each of its radio and television platforms. There will be radio and television broadcasting in every region of the country in both official languages. There are no cuts to that aspect.

You talk about Radio-Canada as if it were an example of an alleged failure on our part to fulfill our obligations on official languages. That is not the case at all. The fact is that Radio-Canada has set itself a new commitment for 2015. Its five-year plan is to be a public broadcaster that enjoys real success in protecting, promoting and celebrating Canada's two official languages in each one of its programming vehicles and in every region of the country. It is a real success.

Ask Hubert Lacroix, the president, to come before this committee to present his 2015 plan to you. If you get around to reading it, you will see that it is a real success story for Canada's official languages.

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

We are going to ask SRC representatives to come and meet with us. The fact remains that Radio-Canada is living with cuts it was told it had to live with. It is no coincidence that no national news comes from Newfoundland and Labrador or from Vancouver. The cuts have affected a number of things in the trenches, especially the journalists.

This is the national news we are listening to. Just go to the CRTC hearings. At those hearings, the Société nationale de l'Acadie, and all the other francophone groups in Canada have come to say so.

Perhaps we are not on the same planet. Sincerely, I am telling you what is happening back home. Just think of the number of times complaints have been laid. Of course, you will reply that it is because of Radio-Canada's programming. But Radio-Canada has a national mandate, and the complaints keep coming. The SRC's response is that it does not have the money because of the cuts and that it is being forced to ask if it can start looking for sponsors, which would make things even worse. This is because of the cuts that were forced onto Radio-Canada.

[James Moore, Conservative, Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC]

That is ridiculous. What crisis are you talking about? As for advertising, it is up to the CRTC to decide whether there will be advertising or not. The request is coming from Radio-Canada. They are doing their homework and there is a study about it.

Listen, there is no crisis. The SRC has not closed a single studio, anywhere in the country. The SRC is completely protecting its ability to fulfill its mandate in both official languages. There is no reduction in its ability to fulfill its mandate, on radio, on television or online, with new electronic media applications. Actually, the SRC is expanding its capacity. There are no cuts to those aspects.

Look at Radio-Canada's plan for 2015. I ask you to do that because it is a significant approach that points the way to success in the future. Ask Hubert Lacroix to come here and explain it to you.

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

Let us go back to the matter of the maritime search and rescue centre in Quebec City. It is being transferred to Halifax and to Trenton. But it was the only bilingual centre of its kind in Canada. Are you going to tell us once more that everything is fine and that you are fulfilling your commitment differently?

[James Moore, Conservative, Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC]

Well…

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Thank you.

[James Moore, Conservative, Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC]

Each department has to comply with the Official Languages Act and provide services in Canada's two official languages. That is the law. The fact that departments do things differently from the way they once did does not mean they are not going to comply with the act.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Thank you.

Your turn, Mr. Gourde.

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

My thanks to the minister, the deputy minister and Mr. Lussier for being here this afternoon.

Mr. Minister, in your remarks, you mentioned that more than 240,000 young people from official language minority communities are studying in their own language, that 2.4 million young people are learning English or French as a second language and that enrollment in French immersion classes has increased by 10% over the last five years.

Is it possible for you or your officials to tell us which province has seen the greatest increase in its enrollment?

Also, are there examples that could be used to increase the enrollment in the other provinces?

[James Moore, Conservative, Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC]

I have the figures here for each of the provinces. As you know, we work with the provinces and territories, and we have agreements with them. We have a five-year agreement under which we made a commitment to provide more money so that they can meet the expectations in education and increase the number of students who study in the official languages.

I have the numbers here.

From 2007 to 2008 in Saskatchewan, for example, they increased the number of students enrolled in intensive French and enhanced French from 400 students to almost 800, so there's been a doubling of those students in Saskatchewan.

In New Brunswick we've increased it by 36% in 2007-08 to 70% this year. It's gone from 36% to 70% of grade 10 students who are achieving oral proficiency in intermediate programs.

In Nova Scotia there's been an increase from 77% in 2008 to 85% in 2012 of students from grades 6 to 9 who are succeeding in their provincial assessments in French as their second language.

In Ontario we've added new preschool day care places in French-language schools. We've increased the number by over 1,100 new spaces.

In the province of Quebec there's been an increase in the number of community learning centres that are offering educational opportunities for kids.

Education is increasing. French immersion enrolment in English Canada has gone up 10% since our government came into office. What's really going to be essential as we move forward, as we see the Stats Canada numbers.... I think everybody in this committee is quite familiar with the numbers. In 2001, if memory serves, 4.4% of Canadians outside the province of Quebec were francophone first. In 2006 it had gone to 4.2%, and in the most recent numbers it was at 4%. However, the number of Canadians who speak more than one language is growing by a large number.

In terms of the best way for this country to continue to be a country that has English- and French-speaking Canadians both, in all regions of this country, in my view there are two main avenues to achieve that ultimate goal.

One is to have a larger focus by provincial and federal governments, but mainly provinces. We can use the investments we have, as the federal government, as a fulcrum to leverage for better outcomes on education. We have to ensure that we have an effective education system that is teaching more young Canadians, especially in English Canada, the value of learning and speaking quality French in this country.

The second-best way, that works in parallel with that, is to ensure that Canada is seen as a country that is welcoming immigrants who speak French to this country.

You know, Canada is the only country in the G-8 that had a net increase in inflows of immigrants during the recession. Every other country in the world reduced its immigration inflows. As you know, in many countries in the world, including the United States, there's a very aggressive anti-immigration political movement. In Canada we don't have that. We don't have that tradition. It doesn't exist in any of our political parties in Canada, that anti-immigration sentiment. That's an incredible benefit for this country, because Canadians realize the importance of immigration to our economic and social well-being.

For the purposes of national unity, for the purposes of official languages, it is critical for this country that we educate young Canadians in the value of learning both of Canada's official languages and that we have a welcoming immigration system, so that when new Canadians come to this country, we're attracting new immigrants who speak French and who can fully realize their professional capacities in the official language of their choice.

I think for every political party in the last campaign, part of their platform talked about how to best integrate new Canadians into the workforce. The truth is that the biggest barrier for any new Canadian in having full access to all the opportunities of Canadian society is not credential recognition, it's the language barrier. And if there's a language barrier between French immigrants to having access to Canadian society because of their capacity to speak French, that's a barrier that we should be tackling more aggressively as a country.

For those new Canadians who are coming here from Rwanda, who are coming here from the entire family of the Francophonie, we want to make sure that they have the opportunity, if they move to Edmonton or to Vancouver, to have upward mobility in the Canadian economy. We want to make sure that the language barrier of Canada's official languages is a barrier that is smaller and smaller as we move forward.

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, QC]

Do I still have time?

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

You have a minute and a half.

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, QC]

So I have time to ask another question.

Mr. Minister, you said that 15 new health training programs offered in French have been created since 2008 for minority language communities. You also said that 86% of the 1,500 new graduates work in official language minority communities. Could you tell me which provinces and communities have benefited more from that?