Official Languages Committee on Dec. 6th, 2007

[Raymond Gravel, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Good morning. I'm new to the committee.

I'm 55 years old. We've had problems preserving our French language since I was very young. That's the way it is across Canada; we even have that problem in Quebec. I listened to you and I got the impression I was hearing wishful thinking. The Canadian Armed Forces reflect the present government. Many ministers don't even speak French. They are ministers, they are unilingual Anglophones, and no one says anything.

Earlier Mr. Godin raised the point: if it were the reverse, what would we do? If they were unilingual Francophones, I'm not sure that would last long. I believe there would be a reversal somewhere. Even here in the House of Commons, if there were unilingual Francophone ministers, they would have their cages rattled much more than Anglophones. But I'm sure they wouldn't be ministers.

You also talked about Saint-Jean's problems, because there are problems there. I have a friend who's currently in Afghanistan; he's a Quebecker with the Royal 22nd Regiment. He told me that all his training had been done in English and that, if he wanted to be promoted in the Forces, he absolutely had to speak English.

I listened to you speak as though everything was going well in the best of all possible worlds, and I'm not sure things are going that well. I don't know what to think.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

General Gosselin.

[MGen Daniel Gosselin]

I'm going to make a comment. We accept the findings that have been made; we're not saying everything is perfect. Major-General Semianiw mentioned it. We want to improve a number of places. I already have a team that's gone to Saint-Jean, for example, to examine the services. One of my colonels was there yesterday with the ombudsman's team. There are places that we will have to improve. In Saint-Jean, we'll have to make improvements in the other direction: services in English for Anglophones who are in Saint-Jean. We've noted deficiencies: we're going to make adjustments and correct them.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

You have one minute left, Mr. Gravel.

[Raymond Gravel, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

I've finished.

[MGen Walter Semianiw]

I'd like to make a comment, please, Mr. Chair.

To be promoted, Anglophones today have to meet the same requirements as Francophones. To become a chief warrant officer or chief petty officer in 2011, you'll have to have competency BBB. For colonels, captains and generals, it's CBC. Today it's exactly the same for Francophones and Anglophones. I'm a product of that situation.

[Richard Nadeau, Bloc, Gatineau, QC]

What you say is all well and good. You have your experience and you can cite examples of that kind. The fact nevertheless remains that Francophones have a serious problem. If an Anglophone goes to a military base in Ontario, he will have books so he can take training. If he goes anywhere in Canada, they'll find books so that he can take his training. Whereas, in French—and that's what is happening in Borden—they go so far as to have someone change occupations because they don't have the documents in that field. As you can see, the problem is serious in that respect.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you, Mr. Nadeau.

We'll now conclude with Mr. Godin.

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

In my last speech, I didn't get an answer. That was my fault because perhaps I talked too long.

You say that people will have to be bilingual to get certain promotions in 2011. The Chair said we weren't here to talk about that, but rather about National Defence, but appointing a unilingual Anglophone to the naval reserve after all the fanfare around bilingualism will start the fuss all over again. Your comment was simple. She said a few words in French and she's going to learn the other language.

I'd like you to respond to the comments you made. It's important because that goes together with the attitude. General Gosselin, you said that the problem was not as serious as Mr. Côté seemed to believe.

Do you still think it isn't that serious?

[MGen Daniel Gosselin]

Thank you for that question. The article you cite is taken from the Barrie Examiner, if I'm not mistaken.

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

Yes, exactly.

[MGen Daniel Gosselin]

I spoke with the journalist by telephone for 20 minutes. The article quotes 82 or 85 words spoken by me. I'm not saying I was quoted completely out of context, but I was talking about the terminology that was used by the ombudsman. I visited Borden. I had been there twice and I had seen the situation. From my standpoint, I wasn't describing the situation in the same way. It was in that context that those comments were made. Naturally, it's easier to say that they were reported out of context, but the journalist selected what he wanted.

The situation is serious; I'm not putting that in doubt.

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

You're officially saying the situation is serious.

[MGen Daniel Gosselin]

Yes. I would say it's now no longer serious in the same way. A number of corrective measures have been taken, and a number of adjustments made. I would say that there are deficiencies and that there are still observations that should be corrected, but—

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

Mr. Chairman, is the receptionist now bilingual?

[MGen Daniel Gosselin]

What receptionist?

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

According to Mr. Côté's report, even the receptionist wasn't bilingual.

[MGen Daniel Gosselin]

Mr. Côté didn't tell us exactly which persons he had met.

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

I have something else here: the Borden strategic plan. Here's what I'm reading in the notes we've received from the Library of Parliament:

Major Jack Bouchard was appointed official languages champion at CFB Borden. Recruits were informed that they could contact Major Bouchard on any matters concerning official languages and would receive a response within two working days. A report on the results achieved is expected by 1 December 2007.

Has that report been filed?

[MGen Daniel Gosselin]

A report signed by Major-General Semianiw was submitted to the ombudsman yesterday. He can answer the question in more detail.

[MGen Walter Semianiw]

I sent the report yesterday. I spoke with the ombudsman and I told him that the report had been sent. It was there.

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

I would like to make a final comment. I like how you referred to Saint-Jean: you went to check, there was a problem, and you are going to correct it. We just want the situation to be corrected in the other places as well, not for people to work at trying to correct it.

[MGen Walter Semianiw]

That's because my family is in Saint-Jean.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you very much, Mr. Godin.

With that final speech, we are going to conclude this part of the meeting.

I would like to thank the representatives from the Canadian Forces for taking part in the committee's proceedings. As you know, the role of the Standing Committee on Official Languages is to promote linguistic duality, particularly within federal institutions. This morning, you will have understood that committee members are concerned about the fact that these institutions should offer equal opportunities to all Canadians.

Thank you for being here and good luck in promoting linguistic duality.

[MGen Walter Semianiw]

Thank you committee members and you, Mr. Chair.