Evidence of meeting #10 for Official Languages in the 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was million.
A recording is available from Parliament.
9:45 a.m.
Bloc
9:45 a.m.
Bloc
Monique Guay Bloc Rivière-du-Nord, QC
No. We need really strict rules in order to make them learn French.
9:45 a.m.
Conservative
James Moore Conservative Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC
That's why we are investing in the schools and we are ensuring that, in the public service, more people are able to speak both official languages. This is very important to us.
9:45 a.m.
Bloc
Monique Guay Bloc Rivière-du-Nord, QC
Judges, ambassadors, deputy ministers, all of those who are not bilingual—
9:45 a.m.
Bloc
Monique Guay Bloc Rivière-du-Nord, QC
Do not talk to me about money. Do not tell me that you are going to invest in order to try to convince the justices that they should be bilingual. What are you going to do? You have the authority to take action.
9:45 a.m.
Conservative
James Moore Conservative Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC
Yes, I know. You have asked me the question three times and I tried to answer you.
I believe that it is very important to be able to speak both official languages, but I also feel that the best candidate with the best qualifications should be appointed judge. If this person is fully bilingual, all the better, but that should not be the only criterion. Other criteria are important as well: judgment, work ethic, communication. Excellence in judicial matters is also essential. Deciding that a unilingual person is not qualified to sit on the Supreme Court of Canada would not be serving the interests of Canadians.
9:45 a.m.
Bloc
Monique Guay Bloc Rivière-du-Nord, QC
I wasn't talking about competence. When you hire a deputy minister or you appoint a judge, why not ensure that this person learns French or the other official language? This person must speak both languages.
9:45 a.m.
Bloc
Monique Guay Bloc Rivière-du-Nord, QC
They have to be bilingual. However, they are not. Right now, there is no obligation regarding this matter.
9:45 a.m.
Conservative
James Moore Conservative Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC
People become deputy ministers after years of service in the public service, sometimes after they have reached their 40s or 50s. It is more difficult for these individuals to learn French.
9:45 a.m.
Conservative
James Moore Conservative Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC
That is true. My deputy minister can talk a bit about her experience. This is an important matter.
9:45 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Steven Blaney
This will have to be very brief. We are quickly running out of time.
9:45 a.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Canadian Heritage
I will simply talk about my personal experience. As a Franco-Ontarian, I studied in French at primary and secondary school. I then chose to study in English at Carleton University and elsewhere so that I would be able to express myself in the other official language. Most of my colleagues can express themselves in both languages.
Ms. Guay, you said that many public servants are not bilingual. However, some geographic regions in this country are not designated bilingual. As such, some individuals don't have the same obligations, that is true. However, in geographic regions that have been designated bilingual, very important criteria must be met by the public servants. We strongly encourage them to do so. In a department such as Heritage Canada—
9:50 a.m.
Bloc
Monique Guay Bloc Rivière-du-Nord, QC
When I referred to the 34% of our positions, I was referring to bilingual positions held by unilingual English people.
9:50 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Steven Blaney
Thank you, Ms. Guay.
We will now give the floor to Mr. Michael Chong.
9:50 a.m.
Conservative
Michael Chong Conservative Wellington—Halton Hills, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I'd like to ask a question regarding education. The government is now on the second action plan for official languages, which allocates over $1 billion over the next five years, including a couple of hundred million dollars for second-language education over that five-year period between 2008 and 2013.
One of the targets contained in the first action plan that Monsieur Dion introduced was to double the number of Canadian youths between 15 and 19 with a working knowledge of both official languages. It's also a key initiative of the Department of Canadian Heritage, as outlined in its departmental performance report of last year.
But if you look at the statistics from Statistics Canada, you see that the number of bilingual youths in Canada between 15 and 19 years of age has actually declined over the last 12 or 13 years. In 1996 it was 24.5%. In 2001 it was 23.9%. In 2006 it was 22.3%. Doubling the proportion of bilingual Canadians between 15 and 19 years of age by 2013, which is only four years from now, seems unrealistic.
I have two questions. First, are you retaining this objective to double the number of bilingual high school students in Canada as part of the second action plan? Second, since the federal and provincial second-language learning agreements are the government's main tool in achieving this objective, what can we do and what is the department doing to achieve better results by 2013?
9:50 a.m.
Conservative
James Moore Conservative Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC
To the first part of your question, the answer is no. It's a noble goal and it's a good thing. We have the experience in the city of Vancouver, for example, where the mayor of Vancouver says he wants to end homelessness by 2015. Setting these kinds of goals and just putting a date on them and assuming it can be done is, I think, setting expectations that may be unrealistic.
Obviously we want to have more Canadians, especially young Canadians, learning Canada's official languages, and that requires investment in programs like we have investments in education. But I think even more than that--
9:50 a.m.
Conservative
Michael Chong Conservative Wellington—Halton Hills, ON
Just to clarify, is it not the department's goal any more to double the number of bilingual high school students?
9:50 a.m.
Conservative
James Moore Conservative Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC
We want to increase it, but I wouldn't peg it at a specific number. Let's put it that way.