Official Languages Committee on April 8th, 2008

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Just as a point of information, I think that somebody asked before whether or not the public sector unions had been consulted. My understanding is that they weren't, but at the same time they also never requested to be consulted. They never submitted anything and they did not ask to be part of the consultations. I just want to put that on the record.

Monsieur Lord, you referred to one of the challenges I think we will be facing as a society, and that is the increasing diversity of the country. Statistics Canada last week published a study indicating that one in six Canadians now is what they term not just a minority but a visible minority. So we're going to have a challenge and work to do in reconciling this increasing diversity--what some call this galloping heterogeneity--with the country's most cherished institutions, such as bilingualism, the need to have two official languages.

I've always thought that one potential solution is for the governments to work with provinces and territories to create a system where we graduate students who are not just bilingual but trilingual. Two of the three languages would be our official languages and the third language would be one of the student's choice. This would be a way to preserve our institutions like bilingualism, the need to know both official languages, while acknowledging the country's increasing diversity. As a first-generation Canadian whose father was Chinese and whose mother was European, I can tell you from first-hand experience that we're not inventing the wheel here. In Europe most students have knowledge of three languages, if not four, and in many parts of Asia, such as Hong Kong or Singapore, most people know at least two languages, if not three.

I would like your thoughts on an idea like that.

[Bernard Lord]

Thank you.

As I said earlier to one question on something else, I don't have all the invitations of people who have asked to meet with me, and I cannot, but some I said yes to and some I said no to.

With regard to the diversity of our country, the face of Canada is changing. I think the government and citizens must understand those changes and see what opportunities come from these changes and how this will allow our country to grow even more. People want to live in Canada because we're a country of prosperity. We're a country of rights, freedoms, the rule of law, and we have a strong democratic system. Those are the reasons we're so proud to be Canadian and so many people want to be here. I think in terms of officials languages, we should limit ourselves to two, but in terms of learning languages, we should not.

Two weeks ago I was in Amsterdam on business, and the two individuals working at the hotel where I was staying--they were young, in their twenties--both spoke four languages. I didn't sense there was a crisis of their identity, of who they were and what they stood for. They knew who they were, and they were very happy to serve people in the language of their choice. And they could do it in four languages. The two combined spoke five languages. There were three languages they shared, but each had a different language. It fascinated me. In Canada we feel good when we speak two languages, but frankly it's not that many.

When I was Premier of New Brunswick we put a program in place to encourage learning a third language, and at the time we selected Spanish, because of volume. But I think we should favour and encourage teaching and learning of the two official languages across the country, and other languages as well. I think the native population in our country needs support in preserving their languages as well.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

I would just like to mention that the committee will also be looking at the issue of young people and post-secondary education this spring. It is part of our work plan.

Mr. Godin, please.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

You say that it is important to learn a third and fourth language; there are countries where people learn four languages. Would it not be important for people in our country, after 400 years—more than 400 years, since we Acadians celebrated that anniversary four years ago and are ahead of everyone else—to be able to master both official languages? Governments have failed, and I can tell you that where they have failed is in education. There are groups like Canadian Parents for French who say that not enough money is going into immersion programs. We see what is happening in New Brunswick, and it is scandalous. Anglophone parents in New Brunswick want their children to learn French, but they are being prevented from doing so. I never thought that a government might one day prevent children from learning French. It is unfortunate, and I hope that Shawn Graham can hear me this morning.

Do you not agree that before becoming fluent in three or four languages, we really need to master our two official languages? That is where we need to put our efforts.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you, Mr. Godin.

[Bernard Lord]

Mr. Godin, I was not sure that we were going to find something that we could agree on this morning, but we can at least agree on this: it is deplorable that the Government of New Brunswick is taking away parents' choice to be able to put their children in French immersion.

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

This is provincial jurisdiction. I did not want to get you too mixed up in that.

[Bernard Lord]

No. However, we at least agree on one thing.

We need to help young children learn Canada's two official languages, and that is part of my report. It is important. What I also say is that we need to help our children learn other languages as well.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Mr. Lord, I would like to thank you, on behalf of the members of the committee, for your frank and direct answers. I also want to thank committee members for their questions. We will be eagerly following the next steps in the action plan.

Our next meeting is scheduled for Thursday.

The meeting is adjourned.