Procedure and House Affairs Committee on March 20th, 2018

[Ruby Sahota, Liberal, Brampton North, ON]

There was probably a rough period when they were trying to transition into languages. I respect the fact that we want to do it right and to make sure that we have a good quality, but I think we have to be realistic. In order to give our first languages respect, and by trying to elevate them to this level and bring those languages to the House of Commons, we're going to have a rough patch, again, in trying to get it to that point where it functions as well as it does today. But I think the funding—

[Charles Robert]

I think that's a real risk, and that's why I think your conversations with the interpretation service will be so important.

[Ruby Sahota, Liberal, Brampton North, ON]

In our brief, from going through the records, we were given a few different languages that have been used in the House to date. In your experience have you had people come up to you with a request to speak in other, different indigenous languages that we have not heard about as yet in the House?

[Charles Robert]

No, not personally.

[Ruby Sahota, Liberal, Brampton North, ON]

Okay.

[Charles Robert]

I have had experiences, not with indigenous languages, but with foreign languages and working with interpreters who either do the relay, as Mr. Reid mentioned, or who do it simultaneously. It does have an impact on how you conduct meetings when you can't do it simultaneously.

I think that's where, speaking about the relay from English into French, it becomes a bit of an issue.

[Ruby Sahota, Liberal, Brampton North, ON]

Starting off, it's my understanding that it probably would not occur that frequently. You had mentioned something about others also having a right to speak in languages that are not indigenous to this land.

Why do you feel that way?

[Charles Robert]

It's because, based on the experience that I've had in the Senate, there are some senators who are very proud of their cultural heritage and who want to show that pride by speaking in their language. I suspect that would arise also in the House. We applaud ourselves quite rightly for being a multicultural society, the great mosaic that seems to know how to work together. Well, if we want to demonstrate that, it may very well be that the House will recognize the right of members to speak not only the two official languages, but also other languages that are spoken in this country.

[The Chair, Liberal, Larry Bagnell]

Thank you, Ms. Sahota.

We'll now go on to Mr. Richards.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

Thanks, Mr. Chair.

I'm just going to go back to something that has been talked about a fair bit, your experience with the Senate. I don't think I heard responses to any of the questions I'll ask.

My first question is in regard to the arrangement that was made for Inuktitut translation. I think there was notice required for that. Is that correct? How long was it? Was it five days?

[Charles Robert]

It was five days, because I remember.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

Can you recall how often that was put into use?

[Charles Robert]

Honestly, you could count it on the fingers of one hand.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

Okay.

[Charles Robert]

Largely, I would say, it was because it was so difficult. Who knows; it might become easier if the demand becomes greater.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

Sure.

[Charles Robert]

If the demand is greater, then trying to put in place the infrastructure that supports that program becomes easier. There's a greater justification for it. To the extent that it is marginal, you'll have problems identifying interpreters who would be willing to do the work on relatively short notice, to perform a service that might only last for 15 minutes, tops.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

Right.

[Charles Robert]

Those are issues that I think have a practical consequence.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

When you say “difficult”, you're referring to finding available interpreters when there are a very few times that it's requested. Is that what's making it difficult?

[Charles Robert]

That was one element of it. There may be other factors involved that you could explore with the interpretation service.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

Okay.

You said you could count them on one hand. What types of interventions would those have been? Would you remember? Were they statements, or tributes, or a question of speeches?

[Charles Robert]

There was one item I remember that was an extensive speech. I think it had to do with a bill that the member was proposing to deal with the heavy cost of bringing food up north. I think Mr. Bagnell would have experience about how expensive it can be.

There was a bill that was looking for some sort of tax relief for the benefit of the inhabitants of the northern regions. The member was quite willing...because he was speaking to his own people about what he was trying to do for them.

That's one vague recollection I have.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

So that was an entire speech, or a large portion of it.

[Charles Robert]

It was a good chunk of his speech.