Evidence of meeting #55 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 meeting.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Conservative
Conservative
Conservative
Pierre Lemieux Conservative Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON
My motion appeared on the agenda for our last official meeting. We debated Mr. Godin's motion and voted on it.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Steven Blaney
The clerk tells me that it was a notice of motion. Is that correct?
Conservative
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Steven Blaney
So we have established that it was a notice of motion. Perhaps our clerk could tell us the status of this notice of motion?
Conservative
Sylvie Boucher Conservative Beauport—Limoilou, QC
I just wanted to know. I know that notice was given.
The Clerk
If it was not moved, that means it's possible to move it at a certain point. But at this point we have another motion in front of us.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Steven Blaney
The clerk tells me that we are currently dealing with the recommendation.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Steven Blaney
Afterwards, we can move on to the notice of motion.
Thank you, Ms. Boucher. With your indulgence, we will hold on to your notice of motion and come back to it once we have made a decision on Mr. Nadeau's recommendation.
Conservative
Sylvie Boucher Conservative Beauport—Limoilou, QC
Do you want me to read it now, or should I wait until we have finished with the recommendation?
Conservative
Sylvie Boucher Conservative Beauport—Limoilou, QC
It would have been a good idea to read it, because it is about the Court Challenges Program.
Liberal
Raymonde Folco Liberal Laval—Les Îles, QC
Mr. Chairman, could we finish one thing before we start another?
Conservative
Liberal
Raymond Simard Liberal Saint Boniface, MB
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am pleased to see you as our chair. I have worked with you in the past, and I think the committee is in excellent hands.
Liberal
Raymond Simard Liberal Saint Boniface, MB
I would like to talk about Mr. Nadeau's motion, with which I agree, but I would like to move some amendments to it.
I travelled with the committee on our study of the vitality of the official languages communities. They told us that the threat to their vitality today was the elimination of the Court Challenges Program. We did not go into details with the witnesses, but I can tell you that the Franco-Manitoban school representatives had to use that program. I think it is entirely relevant to hear from these witnesses, because there is an immediate threat to the communities. The committee is headed in the right direction.
It would be a huge error not to have the Commissioner of Official Languages appear before us in the next few meetings. He has tabled his report, and we should listen to what he has to say. If we were to wait another three months, his recommendations would be weakened. I would also suggest that we hear from the minister regarding her reaction to the commissioner's report. These issues are complementary. We must try to include these people in our work on the Court Challenges Program.
If we invite representatives from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, I would ask my colleague, Mr. Nadeau, not to restrict us to the Atlantic region. This are happening in my province as well. If we hear from Radio-Canada, I would like to ask them some questions about what is going on in Western Canada.