Official Languages Committee on Dec. 6th, 2007

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you, Minister.

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Honoré-Mercier, QC]

Mr. Chair, I have a point of order.

I'd like to ask the clerk a question. When a question is specific, and Mr. Gravel's question—

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Mr. Rodriguez, that's not a point of order; it's a debtable question.

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Honoré-Mercier, QC]

No, I'm asking the question—

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

I'm answering you.

We're going to move on to the other witness.

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Honoré-Mercier, QC]

His question consisted of three words. What doesn't she understand? I want to know why. Isn't she required to answer?

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Mr. Rodriguez, I would simply like to take this opportunity to remind you that you are free to manage your time, of course, and that the witnesses are free to give their answers.

As we have only five minutes left, I'm going to grant them to Mr. Godin so that he can address our witness.

Mr. Godin, go ahead, please.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I won't ask you the definition of the word “assimilation” because you don't know it.

My question will concern something else. You say that your government is adopting measures or moving forward to help the communities. If you don't want to answer that question either, I can tell you that you have disabled the minority communities outside Quebec by cancelling the Court Challenges Program. If the Francophone communities have managed to make progress, it's been thanks to the tool that was given to them. I won't ask you for an answer because I won't get one.

Let's talk about your program to help the minority communities through immigration. Do you believe, for example, that we could bring Francophone immigrants from other countries to Vancouver to reinforce the Francophone communities there?

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

Sir, that's precisely the aim of the strategic plan we announced in 2007. At the time, Mr. Monte Solberg was Minister of Immigration. That's precisely what we aim to do: promote immigration in the Francophone communities, work with them so that they can offer services to these newcomers and ensure that they can also retain them in the community.

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

Please go on.

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

That was precisely the aim of the strategic plan that was put forward in 2007.

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

Mr. Chair, could a Francophone from another country come to Vancouver if he didn't speak English, if he were a unilingual Francophone? Is that kind of thing consistent with your action plan?

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

The purpose of the plan is to promote Francophone immigration to Francophone minority communities across the country.

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

Mr. Chair, I'd like to have an answer, not a text. Could that person be a unilingual Francophone?

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

Mr. Chair, a Francophone immigrant or newcomer who comes to settle in a Francophone minority community of course only speaks French. As you know, there are two official languages in Vancouver, as elsewhere in the country. So what we want to do is to ensure that these Francophones can continue to live and grow in French, but the reality, sir, is that there are two official languages in the country.

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

We aren't required to speak both official languages; we can speak only one in our country.

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

The member is talking about a Francophone minority community, but we also speak two official languages which are spoken in the country, two official languages, including English in Vancouver.

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

That's good. Could a unilingual Francophone immigrate to Vancouver?

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

Yes, if he or she chooses.

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

If there is a family assistance program for residents, a person from Vancouver, for example, could ask a Francophone to come to Vancouver. That would increase the popularity of French, if that person does so in accordance with our rules and our Canadian laws. I think you said you were going to promote that. The person would therefore be welcome in Vancouver.

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

The person would be welcome. When we announced this program, we were in Winnipeg. Francophone immigrants were settled there, and the program was very well received. The purpose of that is to expand the economy.

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

Thank you for your answer.

You also said that you had promised $110 million for the 400th anniversary of Quebec City.

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

Yes.

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

Can we expect to receive several millions of dollars for the Congrès mondial acadien, which will be held in Acadia in 2009?

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

Yes, indeed, we're going to do—