Evidence of meeting #28 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 organizations.
A recording is available from Parliament.
10 a.m.
Director General, Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada
I'd like to point out that there are also Industry Canada, Health Canada, Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Human Resources—
10 a.m.
Bloc
10 a.m.
President, Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada
Yes, in the context of various projects.
10 a.m.
Bloc
Monique Guay Bloc Rivière-du-Nord, QC
All right.
If I understood correctly, you're saying you have filed a funding application and carried out the project, but haven't received the money.
10 a.m.
President, Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada
That didn't happen to us.
10 a.m.
Director General, Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada
It's Industry Canada that was involved. It was for the La Nuit sur l'étang concerts, an event that is held in Sudbury every year. It attracts a lot of people and represents a very significant economic and social contribution. The application was filed in February 2008, the event was held in March 2009, but these people still haven't received a response to the application.
10 a.m.
Bloc
Monique Guay Bloc Rivière-du-Nord, QC
Since the event is over, Industry Canada may be less interested in granting the funding.
10 a.m.
Director General, Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada
That depends on the programs. For some of them, we're told we shouldn't make any financial commitments until the contribution agreement is on the table.
10 a.m.
Director General, Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada
No, there wasn't.
10 a.m.
Bloc
10 a.m.
Director General, Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada
Yes.
10 a.m.
Bloc
Monique Guay Bloc Rivière-du-Nord, QC
This is quite awful. This kind of thing really shouldn't happen. How long has this been going on?
10 a.m.
Director General, Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada
It's been going on for years.
10 a.m.
President, Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada
As I said earlier, the fact that the resources are minimal makes the situation increasingly dramatic. We don't have any leeway within our budgets.
10 a.m.
Bloc
Monique Guay Bloc Rivière-du-Nord, QC
That's also why you're requesting a 50% increase in program funding.
10 a.m.
Director General, Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada
That's what was recommended by the committee.
10 a.m.
Director General, Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada
We're very pleased to have been invited this morning. When the political, administrative and community levels work together, they can produce results that benefit everyone. We can give you some examples in that regard. We have to sit down together and look for solutions. That's somewhat our message today. The fact remains that, for the moment, the contribution agreements have to be sent and the money granted.
10 a.m.
Bloc
Monique Guay Bloc Rivière-du-Nord, QC
Are some of your members in debt? I heard that people used their own credit cards.
10 a.m.
Director General, Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada
That's correct.
10 a.m.
Bloc
10 a.m.
President, Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada
We don't encourage those kinds of practices, but otherwise, they shut down. It's very difficult to shut down when you know that services will be vastly reduced.
10 a.m.
Bloc
Monique Guay Bloc Rivière-du-Nord, QC
You can count on our support. I believe we have to do a big job before the end of the session. We have to bring enormous pressure to bear on the government for it to move and produce the cheques. Good Lord, we're going to go get them and take them to you! I can't wait to see the motion of our Liberal colleagues that we're going to study later.
