Official Languages Committee on Oct. 1st, 2009

[Jean-Claude D'Amours, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

Mr. Chairman, this is the first time I have heard about repayment of contributions. This does not necessarily mean that it was not done in the past. I do not know. However, it is the first time that I have heard this personally, among all of the times that witnesses appeared before the committee.

It is surprising, but what is even more surprising is the deadline of one month to reimburse, before having to pay interest. I do not want to get into that; I just want to know the amounts that were paid out and what was to be repaid to the Department of Canadian Heritage.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Mr. Paré wants to emphasize one point, for your information.

[Jean-Rodrigue Paré, Committee Researcher]

In the report on community organizations that we passed at the end of May or June, 2008, we did some math. We compared the overall envelope that was allocated to this program to the real sums paid out, according to the information we were able to obtain. Eighty-five per cent of the total envelope was spent, according to the performance report that followed.

Therefore, 15% of the total envelope allocated to funding was not spent. The project was not able to use all of the funds, for all of the reasons that the witnesses were able to give us, and possibly because 15% corresponds to the funds that organizations had to send back.

As far as the 85% is concerned, generally speaking the calculations were done for the 2006-2007 fiscal year.

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

May I ask a question?

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Therefore, some of the answers are in the report that we passed.

Ms. Glover.

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

Thank you, Mr. Blaney.

I'm going to ask in English so I can use both of these wonderful official languages here in our wonderful country.

I just want to make note that I too am interested in what Mr. D'Amours has suggested. However, I find it somewhat hypocritical to be so critical of such a commitment or requirement when it was clear that the witnesses have said that this existed under the Liberal government as well. So I would like to see us go back seven years so we can see the totals and compare appropriately on both sides.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Ms. Glover, would you make this a formal amendment to the proposal that is on the table?

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

Absolutely.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

So you would recommend that we go back seven years?

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

Yes.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Okay.

Now we will discuss the amendment.

[Jean-Claude D'Amours, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

We can go back as far as 15 or 20 years. That does not bother me.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

I have Mr. Petit.

Mr. Petit, do you have any questions or comments?

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

Yes. My question is for our analyst.

You have the report that you just delivered to us. I do not want to get into a debate. I simply want to know if it is only us or if this has always existed. That is what I wish to know. I will support the decision, but I want to know if it is only us. Did what you described exist in the past?

[Jean-Rodrigue Paré]

Since the Standing Committee on Official Languages has existed, this issue has come back regularly.

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

You did not answer the question. Did the 15% exist or not?

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

I think he pretty well answered the question, Mr. Petit.

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

All right.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Mr. Godin.

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

I move that we go back seven years, if that might solve the problem.

It is not an issue of putting the blame on one person or another, it is an issue of trying to help francophone and anglophone communities. We can see that there is a problem. Money is not well spent because these communities do not receive it in time. They are unable to launch their projects. We are not helping the communities.

I suggest that we vote on the motion and that we look for a solution. I am not seeking to blame anyone but to find a solution.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

In line with Mr. Godin's suggestion, if it is the wish of the members of the committee, we can now vote on the amendment—

[Monique Guay, Bloc, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

Perfect.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

—dealing with the seven years.

(The amendment is agreed to.)

We are now voting on the motion as amended, which constitutes a request for the funding that had to be repaid by the organizations to the Department of Canadian Heritage over the course of the last seven years.

(The motion as amended is agreed to.)

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Before you leave, please be aware that we will be hearing from a witness next Tuesday. It will be the other side of the coin, the anglophone groups. Also, we are going to distribute the proposed schedule that we will discuss in camera during the next meeting.

The meeting is adjourned.