Official Languages Committee on June 8th, 2006

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

I will no doubt be discussing your comments and questions with my colleague, Ms. Oda, who is responsible for CBC.

The Deputy Minister of Canadian Heritage, Ms. LaRocque, has just joined us. I don't know if she would like to follow up on my answer but I will certainly pass on your concerns.

[The Chair, Conservative, Guy Lauzon]

Thank you.

We will carry on. Ms. Boucher and Mr. Harvey will share the next five minutes.

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

Minister, Stephen Harper merged the key roles of horizontal coordination and the specific mandate outlined in part VII of the Official Languages Act.

Could you tell us what advantages you think there are to this merger?

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

Thank you, colleague.

Yes, the Prime Minister has given me the responsibility for both the horizontal coordination of federal institutions' activities related to official languages, and the specific responsibilities related to the Minister of Canadian Heritage.

This is mainly because it is the Prime Minister's wish to streamline his cabinet, to put all ministers on the same footing, and to focus on priorities. Furthermore, the dual role I am taking on will give greater consistency to government actions, because it will not only provide me with an overview and the opportunity to coordinate activities, but it will also provide me with the necessary tools, as I have said previously, to set the tone and to provide some political impetus thanks to the official languages support programs under Canadian Heritage.

Indeed, I would like to take this opportunity to highlight your new role, Madam. That was an excellent decision on our Prime Minister's part. Ms. Boucher, who is also the Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, is the first Parliamentary Secretary for La Francophonie and Official Languages. I think that this was a very important move and one that is very promising for the future.

[Luc Harvey, Conservative, Louis-Hébert, QC]

I met with the Ambassador for Togo last week. He told me that the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie had drafted the document on procedures to be followed when very important people such as Mr. Diouf come to Canada. The suggested procedure was to travel to Montreal because Montreal is a francophone city and because Montreal airport had been advised of the Sommet de la Francophonie in Saint-Boniface. So there were therefore services available.

Mr. Diouf decided to travel to Toronto. Did he explain why he made that decision?

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

Thank you, colleague, for your question.

This is a very technical question. I'm not responsible for the itineraries that dignitaries use when they're coming to Canada. I'm sure we could find an answer to that question. As chair of the Conférence de l'Organisation internationale de la Francophonie in Saint-Boniface, I can tell you that the Secretary General for la Francophonie was given a very warm welcome. He stated several times that he was satisfied not only with the outcome of the conference, but also with the welcome that he was given in Manitoba.

I'd also like to take this opportunity to point out that one of his very close collaborators, who was in Eastern Townships around ten days ago, Ms. Desouches, also stated that Mr. Diouf was pleased with his welcome, with the outcome of the conference, and that he wanted to move on. Out of respect for the Secretary General of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, I think that we should respect his wishes.

[The Chair, Conservative, Guy Lauzon]

Mr. Blaney.

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Lévis—Bellechasse, QC]

Minister, it gives me great pleasure to have you here. You mentioned, like Ms. Adam, that linguistic duality is a pillar of our identity. I think that we sometimes forget that in Quebec. I've been to Saint-Boniface and to Acadia. One realizes that Canada is not made up of two distinct blocks but rather of intermingled linguistic communities.

Are you confident in the future of linguistic duality? We know that the French language is a reality in Canada, but if you look at the whole of the North American continent, you realize that there are significant linguistic pressures. I would like to hear you on that issue. Are you confident, or are you concerned about the future of linguistic duality in this country?

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

Thank you for your question.

The most useful thing we could do for the linguistic communities would be to look forward to the future with confidence while being extremely vigilant and responsive to their needs, which vary from province to province. The province of New Brunswick is the only officially bilingual province in Canada. The people of that province have specific needs, as do those in Saint-Boniface, where there are fewer francophones.

I am confident and conscious of the fact that our government's commitment to linguistic duality is what will help me fulfil my mandate in this area. I decided to begin a tour for good reason. I want to establish a dialogue. Although we live in a highly anglophone environment due to our American neighbours, I am very enthusiastic and very impressed by the energy and vitality of the various communities I met with not only now as minister, but also when I was a member of the shadow cabinet.

When I went to Vancouver last year, and my colleague was there as well, for the FCFA's annual general meeting, I met with the community in British Columbia.

I'm confident that by cooperating and staying open, we will be able to advance the cause of linguistic duality.

[The Chair, Conservative, Guy Lauzon]

Thank you, Minister.

We will now be starting a second round with Mr. Simard.

[Raymond Simard, Liberal, Saint Boniface, MB]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you for your attendance here, Minister.

I'd like to make a comment with respect to Mr. Diouf. Because the conference was held in my riding, Saint-Boniface, I was very proud of my community and of the way in which he was received. I had a private meeting with the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Senegal. He was very disappointed with the government's welcome. All he was asking for was an apology from Prime Minister Harper.

We do not understand why Mr. Harper won't do that. It's incomprehensible. We should demand an apology, and I imagine we will be working together to that end.

Minister, you indicated in your presentation that you intend to passionately defend bilingualism. I have no doubt you are being sincere in saying that, and I believe you'll do that. However, your actions demonstrate the opposite.

In the throne speech, which would be the document setting out the government's priorities, the official languages are only mentioned in the Governor General's preamble. The issue has practically been forgotten and no mention of it is made in the budget.

You mentioned the Franco-Manitoban community's energy. However, there have been cuts to early childhood programs. We believe there was some momentum building there, but people are disappointed to note that there will be cuts.

It's all very well to say that you are going to support communities, but your actions demonstrate the opposite.

Can you comment on that?

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

Thank you for your question.

With respect to Mr. Diouf, we have said everything there is to say about that, in keeping with his wishes. I'd like to remind you that Mr. Diouf publicly stated that he was satisfied with the welcome he had received from the Government of Canada.

You're talking about cutbacks in the communities. When I went to Manitoba, I signed an enhanced agreement with Mr. Selinger, the Manitoban minister. There were no cuts to early childhood services in Manitoba. Moreover, your previous government's plan contained very little for communities.

With respect to concerns about early childhood within communities, I'd like to add that pursuant to some agreements, amounts have been allocated to community school centres which offer early childhood services.

[Raymond Simard, Liberal, Saint Boniface, MB]

Minister, these agreements were negotiated by the previous government. In March of next year, all early childhood programs will be cut. The Prime Minister has said so.

You say that the previous government made budget cuts. However, it was our government that established the Action Plan for Official Languages. We allocated $751 million over five years to minority communities. These are not cuts, but a significant commitment to the communities.

I would like to come back to Mr. Godin's question on agreements between Canada and the communities. Mr. Lussier can confirm that there were talks and negotiations on the way to improve the agreements. There has already been significant consultation and cooperation with the communities. We have already established that the agreements must be improved. So to travel across the country again... Communities are extremely tired of being consulted. They want action.

Do you recognize that needs have already been identified and that the agreements must be improved?

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

Thank you for your question, Mr. Simard.

Since my tour began, I have lot really had the impression that communities were tired of being consulted. I have been welcomed very warmly wherever I have gone. I believe I will be welcomed just as warmly by the other communities I plan to visit in the coming weeks and months.

You are correct in saying that funding had been approved within the framework of the Action Plan for Official Languages. However, I will remind you that there were major cuts, as mentioned last fall at an event I had the pleasure of attending in Ottawa with the communities.

There were major cuts as well in the 1990s, it must be said, and the plan did inject amounts in areas that were lagging behind.

[The Chair, Conservative, Guy Lauzon]

I will have to stop you, because this discussion is at the end.

The second question in this round will be from Mr. Steven Blaney.

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Lévis—Bellechasse, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Minister, I would like to assure you that promoting linguistic duality is important to all of us, and the committee has been doing excellent work in that area. It is a very pleasant committee to be on. If we continue as we are, we will become a model committee that will demonstrate how we can move things forward when we work together and set partisanship aside.

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

Let us hope that you will be heard, Mr. Blaney.

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Lévis—Bellechasse, QC]

We met with representatives of the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages who outlined the problems at Air Canada and talked about the previous government's bill, which does not seem to be achieving its end in insuring that services provided by Air Canada and all its subsidiaries are...

[Vivian Barbot, Bloc, Papineau, QC]

We can't always talk about the previous government.

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Lévis—Bellechasse, QC]

What I am trying to say is that we need to look forward. Canada is an important symbol of linguistic duality. There are changes that need to be made, and I would like to know what your position is on this.

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

Thank you for your question. In passing, I would respond to the comment made by the member of the Bloc, who said that we keep hearing about the government. But that is the prerogative of a party that could take power.

[Vivian Barbot, Bloc, Papineau, QC]

I mentioned the previous government.

[The Chair, Conservative, Guy Lauzon]

Ms. Barbot...

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

My colleague Lawrence Cannon, the Minister of Transport, will be testifying before the committee soon, and will be able to provide more detailed answers to your questions on this issue.

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Lévis—Bellechasse, QC]

It is important that we have a bill that encompasses all the different corporate entities of Air Canada. Air Canada has been fragmented and its components all have different names. Nonetheless, I believe the spirit of the legislation is to ensure that all of Air Canada's components are covered.