Evidence of meeting #29 for Industry, Science and Technology in the 40th Parliament, 3rd session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was questions.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Michael Chong
Mr.Gravelle, I think that Ms. Sheutiapik would like to answer your question.
Board Member, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami
Thank you.
In northern communities we wear many different hats. Today I can answer for all of the different hats I wear, be they as president of Pauktuutit, which automatically makes me a member of ITK; and as mayor of Iqaluit and president of our association, which also automatically makes me a member of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. So it has an impact on all of the organizations I work with.
Firstly, I just want to state that to keep Canada strong, we need to know how the country is changing, where people live, work, and raise their families. This census helps us do that.
[Witness speaks in Inuktitut ]
As Inuit, because of our small numbers within our great nation, sometimes we fall through the cracks, but this data brings real information that's needed in all levels of government and non-government organizations.
Thank you.
NDP
Claude Gravelle NDP Nickel Belt, ON
So if we don't use this long-form census, if we don't make it mandatory, the cracks are going to get bigger for your community?
Board Member, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami
Very much so, because it's not real data then that are collected by a federal government agency.
NDP
Claude Gravelle NDP Nickel Belt, ON
Okay. Thank you.
Ms. Kenny, what steps has the FCFA taken since the announcement of the elimination of the long form?
President, Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada
First of all, we contacted Statistics Canada. Then we sent a letter to Minister Clement asking him to reestablish the long form. We also asked to meet with Minister Moore, the person responsible for official languages and part VII of the act, in order to ask that the communities be consulted. We also requested a meeting with Mr. Day, who is responsible for the designation of offices. We contacted the Treasury Board Secretariat several times in order to ask how the designation exercise was going to unfold. I must admit that much to our surprise, people were not aware that there were language questions included in the long questionnaire. I was told that the designation process had already been launched.
Thus, we made several representations but got nowhere. To date we are still expecting replies from these people.
NDP
Claude Gravelle NDP Nickel Belt, ON
What impact will the absence of data on people's first official language have on the federal, provincial, territorial and municipal governments?
President, Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada
Most provinces have a policy on services in French and an official languages policy or law. There is language legislation in Nunavut, among other places. Moreover, transfer payments are made for education and health purposes. These data allow the governments to ensure that they are meeting the needs of the French- speaking population of the provinces and territories outside of Quebec and of the anglophone population within Quebec.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Michael Chong
Thank you, Ms. Kenny and Mr. Gravelle.
It is now Mr. Bélanger's turn.
Liberal
Mauril Bélanger Liberal Ottawa—Vanier, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chong.
Madam Stoddart, I have a quick question. Did you or your office conduct a privacy impact analysis of the upcoming census?
Privacy Commissioner, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
Yes, we did.
Privacy Commissioner, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
Our conclusions concerned issues of process and administration of the forthcoming census. As I remember, we focused on two issues--generally security, Internet security, because it's foreseen that a growing number of Canadians will answer this census online; and related to that was the need for public education of the Canadian population because of the threats and the criminality on the Internet. You know there's a widespread phenomenon of phishing and spoofing that is luring people to fake websites. We know there have been fake websites of various government departments, and so we thought Stats Canada should warn Canadians in the time leading up to the census, and in the material being distributed, about these dangers.
Liberal
Mauril Bélanger Liberal Ottawa—Vanier, ON
But you didn't suggest that it not conduct a long-form census with a mandatory reply?
Privacy Commissioner, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
No, that is not our role.
Liberal
Privacy Commissioner, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
I believe it could be made public with the consent of Statistics Canada, but I'd have to check.
Liberal
Mauril Bélanger Liberal Ottawa—Vanier, ON
Thank you.
Ms. Kenny, I have two or three questions to put to you, briefly. This past spring the Standing Committee on Official Languages undertook a study on the influence of immigration on minority official language communities. The very first witnesses the committee wanted to hear were representatives from Statistics Canada. When they appeared it was very clear that the continuity of statistics from the 1971 to the 2006 census was extremely important, just as the data compiled beyond 2006.
Is the FCFA concerned by that continuity? How is that continuity related to the government of Canada's constitutional responsibility and duty toward our communities?
President, Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada
In the short-form questionnaire, the only question of a linguistic nature asks the respondent which language the person first learned and still speaks. It does not take official languages into account. The questions in the long-form questionnaire, however, asked about the first official language spoken, the FOLS. Thus, if in Ontario the first official language of 16% of the population is French, that means that we are including immigrants from Morocco and various parts of Africa, France or elsewhere, as their first official language is French. This allows us to determine how to designate the offices. Currently, the short-form questionnaire does not allow this to be done. However the regulations state that this exercise must be based on the census and not on a national questionnaire sent out to households.
Liberal
Mauril Bélanger Liberal Ottawa—Vanier, ON
If I understand correctly, you feel that the government is no longer meeting its own constitutional and legal obligations.
President, Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada
That is correct.
Liberal
Mauril Bélanger Liberal Ottawa—Vanier, ON
I would also like to come back to one point. I was reading this morning in the media that the FCFA has taken legal action. Can you tell us a bit about that?
President, Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada
Yesterday the FCFA filed a request for a court remedy, to have the decision reviewed, citing section 20 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms as well as part IV and part VII of the Official Languages Act.
Liberal
Mauril Bélanger Liberal Ottawa—Vanier, ON
Merci.
I have a quick question for Madam Sheutiapik.
Does the concept of honour of the crown imply that the government, before making the decision it did, would have had to consult with the aboriginal communities, according to you?