Official Languages Committee on Oct. 5th, 2006

[Hubert Gauthier]

Actually, we dealt with three priorities here today.Two other priorities had not been subsidized; one of these is information technology.

The thing that worries us about Canada Health Infoway is that we are not sure if we can measure the state of health in the francophone population. It is very difficult. The problem is that francophones are rarely identified as such. I met people from Health Infoway and I told them that future systems should be implemented in a way that will allow us to identify francophones, so that we can see how things are evolving. We want this to be given greater priority.

The other subject is research. Even though research was not funded, substantial progress has been made. We want to know more about our population's health. We know that it is not as good, but we want to know exactly on what points, and we also want to know what to do about it. Research is helping us to do this. Therefore, even though research is not among the top three priorities, a great deal of work has been done. The CIHR even funded some of our research. These grants help us to move forward, but we would like to see more progress in this area.

Let me come back to the first point, which is networking. As we look at the scope of our current task, as well as the financial support we are getting, we must realize that we cannot do all the things that we want to get done at this time.

[The Chair, Conservative, Guy Lauzon]

Thank you, Mr. Gauthier and Ms. Barbeau.

Our final question will be put by Ms. Boucher.

[Sylvie Boucher, Conservative, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

Good morning.

I want to congratulate you because I think that you are playing a crucial role in improving this situation. Indeed, it is very important for us, as minorities, to receive services in our mother tongue. I believe that this demonstrates the will that these people and these communities have to remain strong and healthy.

I would like you to briefly describe the process. You have a specific project. Could you tell me more about the role of the various stakeholders?

For instance, you collaborate with governments, etc. Please explain how the process works for a specific project, from its conception to its implementation. Now, at the end of four years, I see that you have made quite a bit of progress and that you are active in many places. This is great news for our minorities.

Would you please explain to me how you work with all the stakeholders?

[Hubert Gauthier]

We have 70 projects. Let me use one of the projects as an example and explain the process behind it. Having access to financial support for the partial funding of these projects was crucial and has acted as a springboard.

What was the process? We advised our 17 networks that we were undertaking a tender process for the projects. This allowed us to reach out to community stakeholders. Dr. Fortier has explained a little about the process on his side. They had a dream to set up a community health care centre and considered how they should get started with the small amount of money that was available to help them set off on the right track. The group developed a project which involved what was, for all intents and purposes, a multidisciplinary team. There was no actual community health care centre initially. Instead, a small multidisciplinary team went from one community to the next. That was what the project was like initially. They submitted their proposal to the Manitoba networks. It was a Manitoban project.

There were also other projects. They had to be prioritized. Following a review of the projects, the network determined which ones would meet a number of their objectives. The objectives were actually clearly identified from the outset: the projects had to improve accessibility, be sustainable and not just a flash in the pan, and provincial approval was necessary. This was an important requirement for approval, because Ottawa indicated it would not interfere in a provincial area of jurisdiction. So, provincial support was necessary. Each and every project, bar none, was approved by the provincial government.

The project starts therefore at a community level, before the province gets involved. A debate then ensues. A whole host of characters gathers around the negotiating table including professionals, regional boards, the provincial government, and the educational establishments. I was involved in the process when I was in Manitoba, and there were some solid debates. Is one project more important than another? Why? What are reasons behind this? You could imagine the type of debate that such questions sparked given that there is never enough money for funding across the board.

Once that stage is complete, the project is then considered at a national level by way of a review committee which goes over the details one last time with Health Canada. Once approved, service delivery contribution contracts are signed with Health Canada. And that is how it works. The groundwork is extremely important.

[Sylvie Boucher, Conservative, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

I can see that. Laying the right foundations is crucial, because you have—

[Hubert Gauthier]

There are four staff members at the SSF. We consult people in the field. Working with them is crucial because they're in the best position to really know what they need.

[Sylvie Boucher, Conservative, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

I think that there is a consensus around the table that this is crucial for linguistic minorities. We will have to try and work together to ensure this continues.

[The Chair, Conservative, Guy Lauzon]

Thank you, Ms. Boucher.

Mr. Simard, it is your turn.

[Raymond Simard, Liberal, Saint Boniface, MB]

Mr. Chairman, I am wondering whether the members of the committee would allow me to tell a short story. It will be very short, and I think that it is important.

Last spring, I was on a flight with a young man who was studying for his medical exams. I spoke to him in English and asked whether he intended to go back to Manitoba. He was a student in Ottawa or Montreal. I told him that there were people in the French-speaking community who were looking to recruit Manitoban students, and that they would stick by them. I referred to Dr. Fortier and explained how he monitors them very closely. He answered me in French and said that Dr. Fortier did indeed monitor them very closely and that he himself was a young student from Notre Dame de Lourdes.

When I asked him, however, if he intended to go back to Notre Dame de Lourdes, a small francophone village, he said that he did, but only if they build a new health care centre. Young people obviously want to work with new equipment and technology and so on. So you need the infrastructure to support this; otherwise, you lose them. When I talk about recruitment, I don't mean getting people to come back to small villages where nothing is available. You do need to have proper facilities.

[The Chair, Conservative, Guy Lauzon]

Mr. Gauthier, would you like to add anything?

[Hubert Gauthier]

Yes. The foundations are important, but an indication of continuity is also hugely important. Otherwise, people lose interest. Let me remind you that the $30,000 currently makes millions. You have to understand that the federal government aren't the only ones investing their money here. This is seed capital. A more stable funding formula needs to be found for the future, for post 2008. What is working well today can't be allowed to fall apart tomorrow, regardless of which party is in government.

[The Chair, Conservative, Guy Lauzon]

Thank you very much, Mr. Gauthier, and thanks to your team. Let me also thank my colleagues for a very interesting meeting.

I wish you the best of luck.

[Hubert Gauthier]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, for having taken the time to listen to us.

[Le président, Conservative, Guy Lauzon]

It was a pleasure.

This meeting is adjourned.