Official Languages committee  Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Good morning everyone. I am, of course, here today to discuss Natural Resources Canada's commitment to official languages, more specifically in the context of the Commissioner of Official Languages' recent annual report. As you know, the commis

Official Languages committee  You want to know the date it was published? It was distributed to employees this week.

Official Languages committee  It was distributed yesterday to all employees at the department.

Official Languages committee  We have had discussions with Mr. Savoie over the past few weeks. If I'm not mistaken, the initial conversations about hiring him date back to last December. Essentially, we have reached an agreement with him over the past few days. All we need now is to finalize the contract. We

Official Languages committee  No. Mr. Chairman, we want Mr. Savoie to guide us in the application of part VII of the act. It is part of our plan to call upon an expert to help us implement part VII of the act, in addition to taking the necessary steps outlined in the plan. As for the plan itself, some aspect

Official Languages committee  I mentioned that we already had some concrete initiatives underway, like the open house for our labs throughout the country. Nevertheless, to go a step farther—and we specified this in the plan—we will draw on the advice provided by Mr. Savoie. In any case, we will clearly do our

Official Languages committee  I think you are absolutely right. I think that in some ways, what has perhaps become clear for some institutions is that part VII is not strictly linked to the organization's mandate. Initially, there was perhaps a false impression among management. For example, on the national r

Official Languages committee  Yes, but not part VII.

Official Languages committee  We have approximately 4,500 employees.

Official Languages committee  I mentioned that this was the first time we were subject to an assessment by the commissioner.

Official Languages committee  I must refer to my colleague who was there before I arrived.

Official Languages committee  The departmental budget?

Official Languages committee  Essentially, this school is made up of 12 full-time teachers. They represent an expenditure of approximately $1 million per year—$950,000 to be more precise. They provide training to approximately 400 to 425 of our employees at all times. There are always between 400 and 425 peop

Official Languages committee  As regards all employees at the department, 46% currently hold positions that are designated bilingual. Of the people in those positions designated bilingual, 98% meet the requirements of the position. The other 2% are made up of people who have been appointed under bilingual no

Official Languages committee  No, people who ultimately want access to training can have it, namely for scientific positions where there is not necessarily an interaction with the public. These people may well want access to training, be it for their work environment or their career opportunities. It is certa