Official Languages committee  We take the note that was raised by Mr. O'Toole, and I think Mr. Trottier, when Madame Latendresse was commenting on the bill. The aim of the bill seems clear: to ensure that those agents of Parliament are people who can function in both official languages without translation.

Official Languages committee  Good afternoon, Monsieur Chong, Monsieur Dion, Monsieur Godin, and other members of the committee. With me today is Mr. James Shea, a member of our board of directors who very graciously agreed to come at short notice to help answer questions. It's a pleasure to be back with you.

Official Languages committee  My understanding, Madam Bateman, was that the point of the study being undertaken by the language committee now is to ensure linguistic duality in the celebrations of the 150th anniversary of Confederation, so I don't think we have a comment to make on the full composition of whatever governance mechanism is put in place to manage the process.

Official Languages committee  The recommendation to encourage Canadians to travel across the country during 2017 was one of the recommendations from the heritage committee's report. Where or how do we reinforce linguistic duality outside the national parks? We have national institutions, small “i” institutions, in which linguistic duality does exist.

Official Languages committee  It would depend on the nature of the project. If the project were done in partnership with a province that for whatever reason, legal or otherwise, was reticent to provide the information or product in both official languages, this would be a mechanism whereby the federal government could ensure its accessibility in both languages.

Official Languages committee  Language clauses are something we've been working on lately at the QCGN in consultation with Agriculture Canada around Growing Forward 2. Language clauses are definitely something the QCGN and the English-speaking community have supported. I'll let Madame Kenny speak for her organization, but they are universally supported.

Official Languages committee  I will answer your question but use the Chicoutimi example, not the Lethbridge example. The English-speaking community of Quebec has consistently explained to this committee that ours is a concern over our community culture, and not necessarily language. We are a very bilingual population.

Official Languages committee  Mr. Trottier, on the linguistic duality part of your question, don't forget that francophone youth outside Quebec and anglophone youth inside Quebec are the most bilingual youth cohort in the country. Putting those two groups together to develop projects together is by definition an exercise in linguistic duality.

Official Languages committee  Our position at the QCGN has always been that federal responsibility follows federal money, so the Official Languages Act follows federal money. Now, in our own specific position or circumstance, you can understand how sometimes that position is difficult in practice. The argument would be that all federal payments to Quebec carry with them the requirement of delivery of services in English, so there are problems, but as a point of principle, federal money carries with it federal responsibilities.

Official Languages committee  I don't think you did, sir. I'd just like to support what Madame Kenny said. Is this a governmental function or is this a function that government can lead? I would suggest that it may be a function that government can lead. When you think about Confederation itself, it's the start line for Canadian government as we know it today.

Official Languages committee  Our message was specific to Canada's English linguistic minority communities. Should the information or the celebrations be available in the French language in Alberta? Absolutely. This is the 150th anniversary of Confederation. Confederation is the story. A significant part of that story is the compromise and the turmoil around Upper and Lower Canada and the Maritimes, and the two languages getting together, and the accommodations that were made in law in the BNA Act to allow our country to begin.

Official Languages committee  I don't recall our being invited.

Official Languages committee  I'm sorry, sir. Could you—

Official Languages committee  I don't recall our being invited to that.

Official Languages committee  It was surprising to see the heritage committee's recommendation specifically address the question of official languages and the participation of linguistic minority communities in the planning. It was a surprise that Canada's English-language minority communities were not invited to participate in that committee's study.