Evidence of meeting #28 for Official Languages in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was company.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Graham Fraser  Commissioner of Official Languages, Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages
Clerk of the Committee  Ms. Danielle Bélisle
Johane Tremblay  Director, Legal Affairs Branch, Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages
Renald Dussault  Assistant Commissioner, Compliance Assurance Branch, Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages

10:10 a.m.

Conservative

Pierre Lemieux Conservative Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON

Thank you very much.

I'd like to follow up on the discussion we were having. Air Canada is a company and it has obligations under the Official Languages Act. I think we're all agreed on that, but Air Canada is made up of people, real people who are making an effort.

People are trying to learn their second language, they're trying to give service in their second language, and people need to know where they're succeeding and where there are problems, where they need to put in more effort. If all they hear about are the failures, it becomes an exercise in discouragement. Perhaps I'm proposing something new, perhaps I'm not, but I'm leaning toward trying to put together a positive working approach with Air Canada.

It's important to understand priorities, because as I mentioned in the first round of questions, we can't achieve our goals all at once. I don't think anyone in this room achieves all their goals in one fell swoop. We're always working toward goals, and we know what the goal here is. We all have priorities for that reason. Where are we going to focus our efforts, where will we focus our resources, how will we achieve our goals, and in what priority? It comes back to working together in a positive manner.

I'd like to know your comments on working with Air Canada to establish priorities with them, to say, listen, you know you have obligations here, how are you going to achieve your obligations, where do we think your priorities should be, and where do you think your priorities should be? That's one part of it, and I'd like to know your comments on that, working from what I would call a prioritized approach, realizing that it's very difficult to accomplish everything all at once.

Secondly, what mechanisms will you have in place to evaluate progress? By progress, I mean both successes and failures, but it's important to do both. So I'd like to know what sort of criteria you will have in place to do that.

If you could comment on both aspects of that, please....

10:15 a.m.

Commissioner of Official Languages, Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages

Graham Fraser

Sure. As Monsieur Dussault said to you earlier, we have established working relationships with Air Canada, trying to establish some proactive discussions about how some of these chronic problems can be alleviated. I'm certainly coming to realize there are some chronic areas and there is a....

You are more aware than I of the nature of the in camera discussions you had with Air Canada. I'm obviously not aware of those. Originally, when I planned this appearance, I had hoped I would have the advantage of being able to read the transcripts of the Air Canada presentation. I haven't had any conversations with Air Canada.

So let me talk on a slightly broader level of some of the ways in which this could be approached, not simply for Air Canada, but in a broader nature, in a broader way. The concept of looking at language as a key element of hospitality and of welcome is a key factor. One of the reasons Mr. Bélanger has had such...I don't want to use the word “anger”, but has had a certain frustration in his experience as a traveller is that he has not felt welcomed and he has not enjoyed the kind of hospitality that is a key part of what one can expect as a member of the travelling public.

One of the important elements of language policy is the regulatory element that's built into the law, which is part of my responsibility. When I first came and talked about the cheerleader/nag elements...these are not necessarily contradictory. There are ways in which the approach of the commission can be integrated. How can we talk about language in a different way, in a way that we're talking about identity, in a way that we're talking about welcome, in a way that we're talking about hospitality, in a way that we are talking about making all Canadians feel at home in this country? One of the key elements of this is so that unilingual Canadians can travel in this country, and one of the key ways in which they travel is on Air Canada.

10:15 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Guy Lauzon

Thank you very much, Mr. Fraser and Mr. Lemieux. Five minutes does go fast when you're having fun.

10:15 a.m.

Voices

Oh, oh!

10:15 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Guy Lauzon

Mr. Godin, you have five minutes. It will be the last question.

November 23rd, 2006 / 10:15 a.m.

NDP

Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. After my comments, I will be introducing a motion.

Mr. Lemieux says that we need to be patient and to work together in order to reach our goals. I would say that 402 years is a long time to wait. Acadians celebrated their 400th anniversary two years ago. We are not talking about being nice and welcoming, pleasant and friendly: we are talking about the law. There are two groups that have been recognized and there is the Official Languages Act. How long is it going to take? The Liberals have nothing to brag about: in 60 % of cases the Department of National Defence does not respect official languages. They have nothing to brag about, because they were in power for 13 years and were unable to solve this problem nor that of Air Canada, which has yet to be solved. They really have nothing to brag about.

Commissioner, when you refer to Calgary, you should be careful. Francophones are going to Calgary because of the appeal of oil wells. At this point, far more francophones than you think are landing in Calgary. You have to think of the economic development context in Alberta, where things are changing. When a francophone's flight takes off from Bathurst he or she may speak French, but must speak English once the flight is in the air. That is unacceptable. That is what we are talking about.

We are not asking all anglophones to become francophones and we are not asking all francophones to become anglophones either, as Antonine Maillet said. We want services in both languages. If someone asks for a can of 7-UP he should not have to end up before the Supreme Court of Canada! That is where there was a lack of respect, that still exists today. Jazz replaced Air Canada. If it did, I want to know—

We cannot discuss Bill C-29, it has not yet been referred to the committee. According to me, you are going to have to reappear before this committee, as well as Air Canada. This airline has not yet been called to appear on Bill C-29; it was on the minister's report. Bill C-29 will be sent to the Standing Committee on official languages.

With respect to online services and Jazz, I want to know what you have to suggest. I know that you discussed it at the beginning of your presentation but I want you to repeat this just to be sure.

10:20 a.m.

Commissioner of Official Languages, Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages

Graham Fraser

I will repeat what I said in my opening statement: online services are essential. With respect to Aeroplan, there is a grey zone in terms of areas of jurisdiction. It is difficult to intervene when there are provincial areas of jurisdiction involving the Consumer Protection Act.

Nevertheless, with respect to online services and baggage handling services, in other words travellers' services which are of increasing importance to them, I would not want clients to be forced to pay for their language rights to be respected.

10:20 a.m.

NDP

Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB

Are you willing to acknowledge, as I have, that it is not a matter of time, but of respecting the law? We cannot take our time any longer: we have been waiting for this for 400 years.

Pursuant to Sections 41, 42, and 43 of Part VII of the Official Languages Act and pursuant to Parts IV and V, services must be offered in both official languages and the act must be complied with. Is that not the case?

10:20 a.m.

Commissioner of Official Languages, Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages

Graham Fraser

In my opinion, the concept of respect is central to my mission as Commissioner of Official Languages. It is a value which I care deeply about. I accepted this responsibility to make sure that the act is respected.

10:20 a.m.

NDP

Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB

That the act be respected, that is what you said. All right. Thank you.

10:20 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Guy Lauzon

Thank you to all members of the committee, to Mr. Fraser and his assistants. We will now suspend our meeting for two minutes and we will resume an in camera session in order to discuss the committee's future business and our upcoming trip.

[Proceedings continue in camera.]