Mr. Nadeau—
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.
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.
9:40 a.m.
Bloc
Richard Nadeau Bloc Gatineau, QC
Do you know that the Olympic Games must be in French and in English?
9:40 a.m.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Pablo Rodriguez
Mr. Nadeau, thank you very much, that is very kind.
You may answer later on.
We will move on to Mr. Godin.
9:40 a.m.
NDP
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I wouldn't want the answer to use up my time. He might want to respond during the time allotted to the Bloc Québécois.
I would like to welcome you to this meeting. I would like to come back to the issue of CTV. Do you have any control over the contracts that are signed, as well as over the requests for proposals? For example, I have before me a contract entitled:
“Request for proposals, RFP No. 114, issued by Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, VANOC.”
Is that you?
9:40 a.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games
Yes.
9:40 a.m.
NDP
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
On page 7, it states: “Proposals should be in English, or in French accompanied by a full English translation. The English language version of the Proposal governs, and the Contract will be in the English language.”
It is said that the requests can be in both English and French, but a francophone will have to draft it in English, and if he does so in French, he will have to have it translated, and the translated version will be the authoritative one, even though we are in a bilingual country.
9:40 a.m.
Program Director, Human Resources and Official Languages, Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games
After that request for proposal was drafted, we realized that a mistake had been made because, at the outset, we had asked that all proposals be drafted in English. We then found a way for people to submit their proposals in French. We will either have a team of people to assess proposals submitted in French, or have them translated before assessment.
9:40 a.m.
NDP
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
Will proposals be assessed in French or in English? In the contract, it is written, and I quote:
“the Contract will be in the English language”.
9:40 a.m.
Program Director, Human Resources and Official Languages, Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games
Indeed, the contract that will be signed with the selected bidder will be drafted in English.
9:40 a.m.
NDP
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
That is how things will be done even in the case of a francophone.
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Program Director, Human Resources and Official Languages, Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games
That's correct, because the language of business is English.
9:40 a.m.
NDP
9:40 a.m.
Program Director, Human Resources and Official Languages, Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games
We will be able to assess proposals, regardless of whether they are drafted in one of the two languages. But the signed contract will be drafted in English.
9:40 a.m.
NDP
9:40 a.m.
Program Director, Human Resources and Official Languages, Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games
Yes, because we have to understand one another.
9:40 a.m.
NDP
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
In Canada, shouldn't we be able to understand one another in French?
9:40 a.m.
Program Director, Human Resources and Official Languages, Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games
The contracts are drafted by lawyers, and are mostly done in English.
9:40 a.m.
NDP
9:40 a.m.
Program Director, Human Resources and Official Languages, Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games
There might well be in Canada, but in British Columbia... That is not something we thought about. That might be something to reassess.
9:40 a.m.
NDP
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
If I may, I think that there is really a problem here. We are talking about the Olympic Games that will take place in Canada and will be sponsored by the government. If a francophone company submits a proposal in English for a contract in Vancouver, it will be at a disadvantage. It will have to use English-speaking lawyers or French-speaking lawyers who understand English well enough. The interpretation will be done in English, and if there are mistakes, the company's representatives will be told that the interpretation is different in English than in French and, unfortunately, they will not be getting the contract.
9:40 a.m.
Program Director, Human Resources and Official Languages, Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games
We are going to have to take that into consideration.
9:40 a.m.
NDP
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
Thank you.
With respect to CTV and TQS, you said that the IOC is responsible for television networks. What does IOC stand for?
9:40 a.m.
Program Director, Human Resources and Official Languages, Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games
International Olympic Committee.