Are you talking about the CSIC or the CSIP?
Evidence of meeting #31 for Citizenship and Immigration in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was quebec.
Evidence of meeting #31 for Citizenship and Immigration in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was quebec.
4 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Montreal, Canadian Society of Immigration Practitioners
Are you talking about the CSIC or the CSIP?
4 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Montreal, Canadian Society of Immigration Practitioners
Let's talk about the CSIC, since that's the organization that I tried to join, without success. Those people operate in English, and Quebec troubles them. It troubles them because we speak, write and take exams them in French.
4 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Montreal, Canadian Society of Immigration Practitioners
I took them in English.
4 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Montreal, Canadian Society of Immigration Practitioners
Yes, because the French exams contained too many errors. I was convinced I wouldn't pass them because the work was too poorly prepared. So I decided to take them in English.
4 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Montreal, Canadian Society of Immigration Practitioners
I haven't taken any exams with the CPIC yet. However, Ms. Salloum is very open to the French language. She comes from Lebanon and speaks French. That's also the case of a number of her advisors. Unlike the CSIC, the CPIC shows great objectivity. We trouble them at the CSIC, but we're welcome at the CPIC, regardless of the language we speak.
4 p.m.
Bloc
Thierry St-Cyr Bloc Jeanne-Le Ber, QC
In my opinion, there are two aspects to this matter. First, all those who, like you, want to take exams in French must be allowed to do so. These exams must be available and be of equal quality. Second, to practise in Quebec, you obviously have to have a minimum knowledge of French. That's the case of all professions, whether it be engineers, doctors or lawyers, in particular.
4 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Montreal, Canadian Society of Immigration Practitioners
At the CSIC, Francophones are the poor cousins, to such an extent that the first exam was so poorly prepared that the candidates received 10 extra points for correcting the problem.
4 p.m.
Bloc
Thierry St-Cyr Bloc Jeanne-Le Ber, QC
Are CSIC's communications in English and French of equal quality?
4:05 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Montreal, Canadian Society of Immigration Practitioners
Telephone conversations are normal because the lady who deals with Francophones comes from Haiti.
4:05 p.m.
Bloc
Thierry St-Cyr Bloc Jeanne-Le Ber, QC
What about the website, written communications, news releases?
4:05 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Montreal, Canadian Society of Immigration Practitioners
I'm pleased that you talked to me about that because the fact that we're considered second-class citizens was weighing on me.
What was I saying?
4:05 p.m.
Bloc
4:05 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Montreal, Canadian Society of Immigration Practitioners
Yes. I'll give you the best example there is.
In my little spiel, I said that a complaint had been filed against me. The person who handled the complaint was an anglophone and didn't want to hear a word of French. When he called me, he only spoke to me in English. I was really in a bad position because the lawyer who had filed the complaint against me was an anglophone. She got along well with the investigator. However, when he called me, I wasn't happy because I didn't understand him.
That went on for three years, until they hired Mr. Setton Lemar, who spoke both languages. I informed him in writing that I was going to find a lawyer and that they were going to hear my case in French.
4:05 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Norman Doyle
I have to cut if off here because we have a schedule to meet--an airport schedule to meet, and a bus schedule to meet.
Thank you very much for coming today. We really appreciate it. As we said before, your submissions will form the basis of some recommendations, I'm sure. Thank you and goodbye.
This meeting is adjourned.