Official Languages Committee on Dec. 6th, 2007

[Hubert Lussier]

The framework is used for the operation of the Official Languages Program. It is the current guide to the operation of the Official Languages Program.

There isn't any specific report, if I understand the meaning of your question.

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

There isn't any follow-up either.

[Hubert Lussier]

[Technical difficulties - Editor] which, once again, guides the operation and application of the amounts allocated to official languages initiatives.

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Minister, can you tell me why, if there are consultations for the communities in Toronto tomorrow, a person was only invited yesterday, without knowing what topics will be addressed and without being able to prepare? You've just boasted about the consultations that Mr. Lord will be conducting. Why are people invited to those consultations only one or two days in advance? You announced it in June.

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

Indeed, in June, I announced that there would be a broad consultation. We worked with the departmental people to establish the various parameters and the context in which we wanted the consultation to be held.

We also consulted FCFA about the themes selected and the organizations that should be invited. I myself signed invitation letters. Now, I'll have to inquire into the reasons why groups apparently received their invitations—

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

—yesterday, for tomorrow.

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

—only yesterday. I'm going to have that checked. You understand that I didn't mail them myself.

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Can you tell me why it's in camera?

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

Pardon me?

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Can you tell me why these consultations are being held in camera?

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

The manner of proceeding, as I just said, was decided in consultation with FCFA in accordance with a very specific framework. That's the answer that I have to give you.

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Minister, I still have a question to ask you. The action plan calls for annual and even semi-annual departmental consultations. Have you personally conducted formal consultations with the communities, as used to be done?

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

There's definitely an ongoing dialogue with the various communities. Over the past 22 months, I've met with a large number of groups. I went to Vancouver and across the country. I also attended the opening of the Sommet des communautés francophones et acadienne here in June. A dialogue and consultations are being conducted with the communities on a regular basis.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

All right. Thank you very much.

Now we're going to go over to the Bloc Québécois, with Mr. Nadeau.

[Richard Nadeau, Bloc, Gatineau, QC]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.

Good morning, Ms. Verner, Mr. Lussier and Ms. LaRocque.

First of all, I'll admit to you that I'm very skeptical of your government. Your leader and Prime Minister has never repudiated the little sentence he wrote in a book, that bilingualism was a fallen god in Canada.

In my humble opinion, this approach says a great deal about how he sees the English and French facts in Canada, but especially about his perception of the communities that every day wonder whether tomorrow their children will have the opportunity to speak French, their language and that of their grandparents.

In that perspective, I'm thinking of the Court Challenges Program. That instrument has proven itself and has made it possible not only to make gains, but also to have rights that were theirs recognized. We had to have that kind of program in order to make significant gains for the communities.

Minister, I would like to know what assimilation is for you.

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

Mr. Chairman, I think we're first going to do a reality check here.

[Richard Nadeau, Bloc, Gatineau, QC]

Minister, what is assimilation, for you?

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

The Prime Minister's commitment was very clear in the Speech from the Throne.

[Richard Nadeau, Bloc, Gatineau, QC]

Pardon me, Mr. Chair—

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

That said—

[Richard Nadeau, Bloc, Gatineau, QC]

I asked the minister a very simple question.

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

Mr. Chairman, could you ask the member from the Bloc Québécois to be polite and give me a chance to answer him?

[Richard Nadeau, Bloc, Gatineau, QC]

These five minutes are mine, Mr. Chair. If the minister doesn't want to talk about assimilation, I'm simply going to try to make her understand that the situation of the French minority Francophone communities in Canada is becoming increasingly awful from one decade to the next, and has done so since 1951. We were able to see that following the last census.

As minister, you are responsible for this situation, and you must ensure that the communities have all the possible tools to combat assimilation, that is to say the loss of their language and culture. By supporting, like your predecessor, the dismantling of the Court Challenges Program, you have removed a very significant tool from the communities.

Now I'm going to let you speak, but I nevertheless want to tell you that assimilation is a major factor. Even in Quebec, where we are a minority in North America, we see that the French fact is weakening, as is the case in Canada's other communities.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

I would just like to manage your time efficiently. If you could put questions to the witness, perhaps you could give her the time to answer.

[Richard Nadeau, Bloc, Gatineau, QC]

I asked the honourable minister what the issue of assimilation represented for her. I'd also like to know why the Court Challenges Program was cancelled, when it was a major tool for the communities.