Official Languages Committee on Feb. 1st, 2007

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

That's the explanation.

[Jean-Rodrigue Paré]

That corresponds to approximately 920,000 persons in Quebec, according to the 2001 census...

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

That was in 2001.

[Jean-Rodrigue Paré]

...and to approximately the same percentage of Francophones outside Quebec, also according to the 2001 census.

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

It's simply that I got lost at one point.

[Le président, Conservative, Guy Lauzon]

Then we'll continue with Ms. Boucher.

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

I'd like to say that we've done a lot of work. Our committee has travelled. As my friend Mr. Godin said so well, we've travelled around, done a cross-Canada tour and heard a lot of evidence as well.

I'm an eternal optimist, and I think we're on the right track. The entire team here, whether it be one party or another, wants to move forward.

Our committee was set up to evaluate the Action Plan for Official Languages. Has the action plan worked? Has it not worked? First, I'd like to know, in your opinion, Ms. Epners, what the deficiencies of the plan were. Are you familiar with Bill S-3? What aspects of the plan should be improved, in your opinion?

[Ilze Epners]

When you say action plan, what action plan are you referring to?

The action plan...?

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

We're talking about the Dion Plan. It was called the Dion Plan. There was Bill S-3 as well, wasn't there? Anglophones in Quebec aren't affected by that. Is that correct?

[Raymond Simard, Liberal, Saint Boniface, MB]

Literacy.

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

In that case, Mr. Perreault...

[Jean-Paul Perreault]

I have a comment to make. When you refer to the first official language spoken, you'll understand that we're not talking about the same statistics.

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

No, no.

[Jean-Paul Perreault]

Statistics Canada, as far as we're concerned, referred...

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

I merely wanted to tell you to what extent you can play with figures.

[Jean-Paul Perreault]

Except, Ms. Boucher, that let's not play with the figures; let's draw the necessary conclusions.

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

All right.

[Jean-Paul Perreault]

The dominance of English is much greater based on your statistics than on those that I used...

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

That's not the question I asked. What I want to know is what you think of the action plan.

[Jean-Paul Perreault]

... since my figures tell me that there are 591,000 Anglophones, based on mother tongue in Quebec, and that yours tell you that there 900,000.

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

Mr. Perreault...

[The Chair, Conservative, Guy Lauzon]

Mr. Perreault—

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

Mr. Perreault—

[Le président, Conservative, Guy Lauzon]

Mr. Perreault, I think Ms. Boucher wants an answer to her question.

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

I want to know, because I work on this committee, what are the deficiencies of the action plan — if you're familiar with it — and what aspects of the plan should be improved.