Official Languages Committee on Feb. 12th, 2008

[Donald Lemaire]

I am going to give the same answer as I gave Mr. Godin. We do not monitor language training. The Public Service Commission no longer has responsibility for language training. That would have to be checked with the School of Public Service of Canada, whether the people in charge of the school monitor waiting lists and access to language training.

[Raymond Simard, Liberal, Saint Boniface, MB]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Do you have a question, Mr. Harvey?

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

First, service has to be offered to the public in both languages. In the case of public servants, do you receive complaints from people saying they are not able to speak their first language at the office? Do you hear about problems like that? If not, are things going relatively well?

[Donald Lemaire]

The Commissioner of Official Languages receives the complaints; we do not receive them.

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

Surely the Commissioner is in contact with you.

[Donald Lemaire]

He can also contact the department concerned to discuss the complaint.

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

Have you heard about problems in this regard?

[Donald Lemaire]

I am not aware of any particular situations.

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

Thank you.

[Daniel Petit, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Mr. Chair, I would like him to explain what is represented in figure 1 that he has presented.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

I will allow you a little time, Mr. Petit.

[Daniel Petit, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

I will have to take a look at this later. Fortunately he can explain something for us. This will take maybe 30 seconds.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Be brief.

[Daniel Petit, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

I would like to understand what figure 1 represents.

[Donald Lemaire]

It shows appointments by candidates' first language.

[Daniel Petit, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

What exactly do you mean by first language?

[Donald Lemaire]

In other words, this is an anglophone, a francophone or someone else who has reported English or French as their first language.

[Daniel Petit, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

What about the other one?

[Donald Lemaire]

Those are appointments from outside the public service. The second table relates to bilingual imperative appointments.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you for that clarification, Mr. Lemaire. I have just learned that you have to catch a plane at 11:00. We won't keep you any longer. Thank you for meeting with us this morning and clarifying things for us, especially regarding your mandate. There were a lot of questions on that subject.

We will suspend and continue in camera, to begin our analysis of the report.

[Proceedings continue in camera.]