Evidence of meeting #12 for Official Languages in the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was english-speaking.
A recording is available from Parliament.
10:05 a.m.
Director, Policy, Research and Public Affairs, Quebec Community Groups Network
I do.
Again, the federal partner is still involved. If the federal partner is not involved in the transaction, then we have less chance of accessing the program in the official language of our choice. If the program is delivered by the Government of Quebec, we will not be able to access the program in English.
10:05 a.m.
NDP
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
For the minority, would it not be better to have another kind of program, through official languages, or another program where they would look after the minority to make sure they had something, but at the same time not cut off the other program we had across the country where all provinces said no to it.
10:05 a.m.
Director, Policy, Research and Public Affairs, Quebec Community Groups Network
It's an interesting idea.
10:05 a.m.
Conservative
John Williamson Conservative New Brunswick Southwest, NB
Just a point of clarification, when you say interesting, you're really being polite more than agreeing.
10:05 a.m.
Director, Policy, Research and Public Affairs, Quebec Community Groups Network
What I mean is that I don't have time to think about it. I'm just hearing about it.
10:05 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Michael Chong
Mr. Thompson, did you have a response to Mr. Godin?
No, okay.
Are there any further questions from the committee?
Madame St-Denis, briefly.
10:05 a.m.
Liberal
Lise St-Denis Liberal Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC
I would like some information.
You said that you represent between 30 to 40 anglophone organizations in Quebec. What is that as a percentage of all the organizations in Quebec?
10:05 a.m.
Director General, Quebec Community Groups Network
There was a study by a group called COCo a couple of years ago. There are hundreds and hundreds of groups in Quebec that work in the English-speaking community, either they are directly involved in the English-speaking community or they are bilingual.
Our 41 members also have members. It would be hard for me to say what the proportion would be. To be fair, QCGN is the only provincial organization that has the breadth and the scope throughout the province. So 41 members across the province from Magdalen Islands to Gatineau, and in all arts, culture, and youth organizations. There are hundreds of organizations in Quebec.
10:10 a.m.
Conservative
10:10 a.m.
Conservative
10:10 a.m.
Conservative
Joyce Bateman Conservative Winnipeg South Centre, MB
Mr. Chair, I've lost track of the line of questioning. Who's turn is it next?
10:10 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Michael Chong
If we want to get very technical about this, routine motions state that there is an order of speaking, which you all know is on this list, but that the chair actually has discretion as to who to give the floor to despite the order of members' parties on the list.
In the last two to three minutes, I thought I would be generous and give the floor to members who may have had a question or a point of clarification they wanted to ask of the witnesses at the front. That's why I gave the floor to Madam St-Denis and that's why I gave the floor to Mr. Nicholls. But if people are going to abuse my generosity and—
10:10 a.m.
An hon. member
I don't think that's the case, sir.
10:10 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Michael Chong
—get into niggling questions about the order, then we'll just stick strictly to the script and I'll start cutting people off at exactly the time apportioned, whether it's seven minutes for the first round or five minutes for the next round. I'll start cutting witnesses off exactly at the seven-minute mark in their opening statement.
I've used my discretion as chair to try to make this committee work, and I hope that we can all work together to do that. I'd ask members on both sides to make sure that we not get into this game of counting down to the exact second regarding which member has had the floor.
So, if you please, use your time responsibly. I'll give the floor to Mr. Nicholls to ask a brief question.
Mr. Godin.
10:10 a.m.
NDP
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
Mr. Chair, it's not a question of checking the time or determining how the committee wants to work. I believe you are right to use your discretion at the end of the evidence, once all questions have been asked and when someone else wants the floor. I understand that. However, the list was made based on a vote. In that sense—
10:10 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Michael Chong
In fact, we passed a motion that starts like this: “That, at the discretion of the Chair...”.
Okay? We generally follow the list in the rounds of time, but toward the end of the meeting, when it doesn't appear that there's a Conservative who wants to ask a question and we have four or five minutes left on the orders of the day before we go into consideration of committee business, I thought I'd give the floor to members who just had one or two quick questions of clarification. But clearly this has caused a great deal of consternation.
10:10 a.m.
Conservative
10:10 a.m.
Conservative
10:10 a.m.
NDP
Jamie Nicholls NDP Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC
Regarding Mr. Godin's comments on the jobs grant, don't you think it would be advantageous to roll out this program through the organizations that know the economic needs of the community the best, organizations like YES and ELAN? Wouldn't they be the best place to roll out these job training programs?
10:10 a.m.
Director General, Quebec Community Groups Network
We probably don't have a specific opinion on that, because I think that in the parameters of the program what's best for the community should be considered. If the answer to that is yes, then absolutely. We're not knowledgeable enough to figure out exactly if that's the one, but that sounds good to me.