Official Languages Committee on March 31st, 2009

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Yes, you still have one minute and 30 seconds, Mr. Petit.

[Daniel Petit, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Thank you.

I have one other question. A previous witness told us that the satellite signal is not available everywhere, for example, in the western provinces. You know how it works: there is only isolated coverage. Has this problem not been solved for both francophones and anglophones, mainly in northern Saskatchewan and northern Manitoba, where people were having problems receiving the signal? We were told that the problem had been resolved. It had to do with the upcoming 2010 Winter Olympic Games. Has that signal problem been resolved? Is it in the process of being resolved or will it be? Can you give us an answer on that, Ms. Mounier?

[Marie-Geneviève Mounier]

I am very sorry but I really cannot answer your question, since anything to do with satellite broadcasting or reception of satellite signals is really outside my mandate. What I can tell you is that there are discussions underway with CBC/Radio-Canada as a follow-up to the CRTC hearings to see how the consortium and CBC/Radio-Canada could work together to fill in possible gaps in the broadcasting of the games. The satellite issue, unfortunately, is outside my mandate.

[Daniel Petit, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Do I still have time?

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

No, Mr. Petit, your time has expired.

[Daniel Petit, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Thank you very much, Ms. Mounier.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

We will now go to Mr. Godin.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Regarding third party agreements, the government wants to do promotion, but it is clear that it really is promotion and not a commitment to ensure respect for both official languages. In point 4.2.1 of his report, concerning governance of official languages, the Commissioner of Official Languages makes the following recommendation:

That Canadian Heritage strengthen provisions pertaining to services provided by third parties and establish provisions for sponsors to ensure the equal treatment of both language groups.

Do you agree with that statement? Does the government have a role to play in this regard?

[Marie-Geneviève Mounier]

We always take the Commissioner of Official Languages' recommendations very seriously and we try to follow up on them the best we can. In the case of this particular recommendation, the issue is a very complex one. We are looking at the various ramifications to see how we can respond to it.

Within the Department of Canadian Heritage, there is a working group that includes the legal services; it is exploring the third party issue to see how we can implement the commissioner's recommendation. That said, where the 2010 Winter Olympic Games are concerned, I must repeat that the multiparty agreement, which is our overall contract with the organizing committee, includes provisions calling on VANOC to urge third parties to take the official languages into consideration...

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

I would ask you to stop there. You are talking about urging them to take languages into consideration, but do they not have an obligation to do that? This is Canada, which has two official languages, and the Olympic Games recognize these two official languages, French and English. I had to make a complaint to the Commissioner of Official Languages.

Tourism British Columbia, the official travel website of B.C., Canada.

This organization has a site dedicated to the Olympic Games. Information is provided in a number of languages for various countries, including China and Mexico, but there is no French. I had to file a complaint about that. We are talking about Vancouver, British Columbia, where there are 270,000 people who speak French and English and where there are 60,000 francophones. What about the French, who are major participants in these games?

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

They founded the Games, Mr. Godin.

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

They founded them! Ms. Glover congratulated you and told you how good you were, and she congratulated the government. She has never seen anything so wonderful in her life. It is very, very good. Personally, I cannot believe this. I am upset to see what the federal government is doing and what our prime minister, Stephen Harper, is doing. When he speaks to the nation, he always starts out in French, and then he abolishes the Court Challenges Program and makes cuts to the CBC. We are losing our news services across the country. My God, I am very upset this morning! I don't know what to do or what to think.

More seriously, I want to know what obligations the Government of Canada imposes on third parties. Do you simply urge them to comply, or do these people have obligations to our country in terms of our official languages, the languages of the two founding peoples?

[Marie-Geneviève Mounier]

As I mentioned, the multiparty agreement requires VANOC to urge third parties, its partners, to use both official languages.

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

That means that they are not required to do so.

[Marie-Geneviève Mounier]

VANOC is required to urge sponsors to do so.

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

Does VANOC say to the third party, “I would like you to do that for me” or “If you are going to promote the Games, here is what I want you to do. We are the ones paying.”?

[Marie-Geneviève Mounier]

VANOC urges its sponsors to use both official languages and provides them with support services. It offers support to sponsors who need assistance from bilingual staff. It offers information indicating where the resources are available, etc. For example, if sponsors need translation services or...

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

Yes, they can do it in Chinese and in “Mexican”, but they cannot do it in “Canadien” in British Columbia. What is the problem? What is the Department of Canadian Heritage doing to ensure respect for our country's official languages?

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Perhaps you could end with a brief response.

[Marie-Geneviève Mounier]

The organizing committee's responsibilities are very clearly laid out in the multiparty agreement and, as I mentioned, the third party issue is being explored right now.

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

Under review... Oh boy! It's been under review since 2001.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Ms. Mounier, Mr. Robinson, you told us that the role of the department was to serve as a guide, a facilitator. You also clearly indicated to the committee this morning that the Vancouver Organizing Committee had obligations relating to the promotion of official languages.

Furthermore, I think that all the committee members agree that the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games will showcase Canada to the world, as the minister told us. Last year, we had the celebrations relating to the founding of Quebec City 400 years ago, and they were an excellent opportunity to promote our culture as well as talented people from here and from abroad. This morning you may have gathered that the role of our committee is to serve as a watchdog. So, we will be monitoring the situation closely to ensure that the Olympic Games are a great success for Canada.

Thank you for appearing before the committee.

Mr. Galipeau.

[Royal Galipeau, Conservative, Ottawa—Orléans, ON]

Mr. Chairman, I think that we have gone around the table, but during the third round, did a government member have an opportunity to ask a question?

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

In fact, we've done two rounds of questioning, Mr. Galipeau, because we must hear from another witness during the last hour.

[Royal Galipeau, Conservative, Ottawa—Orléans, ON]

I would like to ask for unanimous consent from the committee so I may ask these witnesses a question.