Official Languages Committee on June 8th, 2006

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

I will ask you my question a third time.

[Josée Verner, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

I heard your question, Mr. Godin.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Could you respond to my question, please.

I'm not asking you whether he was searched. Was he, in actual fact asked to remove his coat in order to go through security?

[Josée Verner, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

I will say the following, sir. First off, there was no body search.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

I understood that, because you're repeating it for the third time.

[Josée Verner, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

I believe it's important.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

I understood that.

[Josée Verner, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Allow me to respond, sir.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Yes, but you're not answering my question, Minister.

[Josée Verner, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

If you gave me a chance to speak, I would answer with pleasure.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

All right, thank you.

[Josée Verner, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Based on the information I have at this point, there was no body search. If you would like to get a response as to whether he was asked to remove his coat, we will ask the question and provide you with the answer.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

I'v asked the question. I'd like you to...

[Josée Verner, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

The question...

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

...provide the committee with the answer, please.

[Josée Verner, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

I would like to insist upon the fact that there was no body search, because people have insisted on saying that there was one.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

I understand, but I want to know whether he was asked to remove his coat.

[Josée Verner, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

We will get you that answer.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

I have visited many countries as a parliamentarian, and I was never asked to remove my coat, etc. At any rate, I was never asked to do so in those countries that I visited.

[Josée Verner, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

I understand what you're saying, sir.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

I'd like to talk about your responsibilities as Minister for La Francophonie and Official Languages. Mr. Rioux, the President of the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada, asked the previous government several times to increase the $18 million budget because, since 1992, there has been such a decrease in the amount of funding granted to francophone communities that they are being adversely affected. I'm referring to the Canada Community Agreements. Take, for example, the Acadian communities of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, as well as those communities in Newfoundland, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, throughout the country, even in British Columbia, where there are now a significant number of francophones. There's even an Acadian association in Vancouver. It would be interesting to see this throughout the country.

An additional $18 million was requested. According to what I have understood, an extra two million dollars was provided, with a study to follow. Could you tell us what stage that study is at and if the government intends on increasing the francophone community funding?

[Josée Verner, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Thank you for your question. As I stated previously, I am currently travelling throughout the country. I thought, as the new Minister for La Francophonie and Official Languages, that it was important to consult and to travel in order to meet these communities and hear what they have to say. I met several times with the President of the FCFA, Mr. Rioux, as you know. We have had some excellent exchanges. My travels are not yet over, and I will be assessing the requests that communities are making to us. I am very aware that the previous government made cuts in these communities. It is certainly the intention of this government to collaborate with these communities and with our various partners in Canada.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

The Société Radio-Canada, or CBC, is an extremely important public radio station in Canada.

It is your government's intention to provide CBC with guidelines that will ensure a greater presence in rural communities? I will give you an example. Usually, I hear our national news—and I've often said this before this committee—not from Radio-Canada, but Radio-Montréal. You can't even call it Radio-Québec, because no one talks about the Gaspésie or the North Shore. I used to call it Radio-Québec but I realized that in fact it was Radio-Montréal.

I think that if a cat were to be killed on Ste-Catherine Street, the Maritime news would be interrupted in order to mention this on RDI. The Maritime news on RDI was interrupted six times over a very short time period. In one case, a press release was reported, in which Mr. Parizeau was wishing Stephen Harper good luck as Prime Minister after his electoral victory. In another case, Stéphane Bergeron was congratulated for having won elections in Quebec. This is very frustrating and insulting.

Therefore, as the Minister for La Francophonie and Official Languages, what guidelines will you be giving to CBC?

[Josée Verner, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Listen...

[The Chair, Conservative, Guy Lauzon]

Minister, could you please make your answer brief.