Industry Committee on July 27th, 2010

[Elisapee Sheutiapik]

Very much so. We're hoping they reverse the decision they've made to continue on with the 2011 consensus. It would give the government an opportunity to see if the kind of data they're looking to collect will be sufficient.

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

I think you're right: there is a consensus emerging about that. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Thank you, Mr. Bélanger.

Monsieur Bernier.

[Maxime Bernier, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

Mr. Chair, I would like to put a few questions to Ms. Kenny.

I think that you understand the changes made by our government very well. In 2006, there was a 40-page, detailed questionnaire and 20% of Canadians were forced to fill it out and were liable to imprisonment or fines if they refused to do so.

This year, the minister has made this questionnaire voluntary, in order to respect people's freedom of choice.

That said however, among the seven census questions there is still one mandatory question involving official languages, question number 7: “What is the language that the person first learned at home in childhood and still understands?”

There is also a sub-question, and I quote:

If this person no longer understands the first language learned, indicate the second language learned. English. French. Other.

And so I expect that this question number 7 is very important to you. If I understand your position correctly, you would like all of the other questions which were a part of the 2006 census to be kept, but you would like them also to be mandatory.

[Marie-France Kenny]

I would like to clarify something. According to the order, the language question asks the respondent which language the person first learned and still speaks. Official languages are not mentioned at all. If the person first learned Chinese, you will not know from his reply whether his preferred official language is English or French, or whether his first official language is English or French. And so it will be difficult for the government to determine how many francophones or French-speaking persons there are in each of the provinces, in order to offer services.

The short-form questionnaire in its current form will not allow the government to carry out the exercise as described in part IV of the act.

[Maxime Bernier, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

Consequently, Ms. Kenny, you would like the 2006 long-form questionnaire questions to remain mandatory.

[Marie-France Kenny]

We would like the long questionnaire to remain mandatory.

[Maxime Bernier, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

You have answered my question.

I would now like to mention four other questions that are put to Canadians. I would like to ask you whether you feel those questions should be voluntary or mandatory for Canadians.

The first concerns the linguistic group: to which linguistic group do you identify as a person? In your opinion, should this be a voluntary or mandatory question?

[Marie-France Kenny]

We feel that in order to ensure that the government respects....

[Maxime Bernier, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

Please answer my question. Should the question be mandatory or voluntary?

[Marie-France Kenny]

It should be mandatory.

[Maxime Bernier, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

There is also the following question: in which language do you speak to your child most often at home? Should that question be mandatory or voluntary?

[Marie-France Kenny]

It should be mandatory.

[Maxime Bernier, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

They also ask: did you study the other official language, French or English, in high school? Should that question be mandatory or voluntary?

[Marie-France Kenny]

It should be mandatory.

[Maxime Bernier, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

And here is the last question: during how many years did you study the other official language?

[Marie-France Kenny]

That should be mandatory.

[Maxime Bernier, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

Madam, the four questions I just quoted to you are four questions that were voluntary in 2006. They were taken from the Survey on the Vitality of Official Language Minorities conducted by Statistics Canada. These questions were not mandatory in 2006. They were voluntary questions that were put within the framework of an independent survey on the vitality of official language minorities. I understand that you are still not satisfied with what happened in 2006 and that you would like to see these questions added to the questions that were there originally.

[Marie-France Kenny]

That is correct. In fact, we would like to see changes made to the questions that we were put in 2006. We were part of the consultation and that is what we said, Mr. Bernier. We asked that the questions be clarified in the long-form questionnaire. Currently, the government clearly states in its regulations that it is to rely on census data to measure significant demand and go through the office designation process. The government is in breach of its own legislation.

[Maxime Bernier, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

In other words, you are saying—and I will conclude on this—that all of these questions are so important to your organization that we should continue to threaten people with imprisonment and fines.

[Marie-France Kenny]

Sir, all of these questions are important, not for my organization, but for Canadian linguistic duality and Canadian society.

[Maxime Bernier, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

So you would continue to threaten people.

[Marie-France Kenny]

I am not threatening anyone. I am a responsible citizen, ready to do what is right for my country.

[Maxime Bernier, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

That is what is normally done when the questions are mandatory. We ask people to reply to them and threaten them with imprisonment or fines if they do not.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Thank you, Mr. Bernier and Ms. Kenny.

I will now give the floor to Mr. Nadeau.