Official Languages Committee on April 29th, 2008

Evidence of meeting #28 for Official Languages in the 39th Parliament, 2nd session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was games.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

Linguistic Duality at the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games

MPs speaking

Also speaking

John Furlong Chief Executive Officer, Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games

Francine Bolduc Program Director, Human Resources and Official Languages, Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games

9:05 a.m.

Liberal

The Vice-Chair Liberal Pablo Rodriguez

Good morning to you all. Mr. Blaney could not be here with us today. I therefore have the pleasure of chairing this meeting. I see that Mr. Godin is delighted with that.

Before introducing our witnesses, I would first like to address two issues that were raised by the clerk. First, you are invited to put forward, before May 6^th, names of witnesses for the meeting dealing with post-secondary institutions. Second, the clerk needs some clarification, and I would like to settle the issue straightaway, before moving on to discussions with our witnesses.

The issue is official language exemptions. My understanding is that some people are exempted after having passed a test. They no longer have to undergo training or pass further tests. These people no longer have to take language courses to upgrade their skills, and are also dispensed with having to take such tests. That is the issue we wanted to consider. Perhaps the clerk would like to ask a more specific question. Is this how people around the table understood the issue?

9:05 a.m.

Conservative

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

A person can be qualified for a position, but not know both languages.

9:05 a.m.

Liberal

The Vice-Chair Liberal Pablo Rodriguez

I think that what we are talking about here is the language level that a person has to attain in order to be exempted from further testing and having to take second-language training.

9:05 a.m.

Conservative

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

I thought we were talking about qualifications, language aside.

9:05 a.m.

Liberal

The Vice-Chair Liberal Pablo Rodriguez

No, we are dealing with language.

9:05 a.m.

Conservative

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

Then something is not quite right here.

9:05 a.m.

Liberal

The Vice-Chair Liberal Pablo Rodriguez

This relates to language.

Mr. Godin.

9:05 a.m.

NDP

Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB

Mr. Chairman, it is my understanding that the current system is such that people have to pass a test and, if they score high enough, are exempted forevermore. I think that what we wanted to study is the level needed to obtain that exemption. Among the people who have passed the test, some say that they are quite glad that they no longer need to speak the other language or pass further tests. That's common knowledge.

9:05 a.m.

Liberal

The Vice-Chair Liberal Pablo Rodriguez

Therefore, we want to know what is expected of people for them to obtain an exemption. We have to study the issue in its entirety. I think that we have to take a very broad approach. People pass a test at the start of their careers and, if they succeed, they are exempted.

Mr. Lebel.

9:05 a.m.

Conservative

Denis Lebel Conservative Roberval—Lac-Saint-Jean, QC

Mr. Chairman, there are also people who, at one point or another, can access a position and who are asked to get refresher training. I have heard of federal public servants in Quebec who were qualified for a position and who were required to upgrade their English skills. I would like to know the level of English they have to reach in order to keep their jobs. These are questions we have to consider.