Evidence of meeting #33 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 bilingual.
A recording is available from Parliament.
9:25 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Steven Blaney
Thank you very much, Mr. Godin.
We will now continue with Ms. Shelly Glover.
9:25 a.m.
Conservative
Shelly Glover Conservative Saint Boniface, MB
Thank you very much.
I would like to welcome all of our witnesses.
If I may, I would like to ask you a series of questions. We only have five minutes so I will have to be brief. I would really like to clearly understand the situation that existed on board the train at the time of the fire.
I'll speak in English so all members can understand exactly what's being said.
What was the complaint made by the passenger? What exactly did he say?
9:25 a.m.
Chief Strategy Officer and Official Languages Champion, VIA Rail Canada Inc.
I'll get back to you. I have it here in my papers somewhere.
9:25 a.m.
Conservative
Shelly Glover Conservative Saint Boniface, MB
Okay, go ahead.
Perhaps one of the other witnesses could explain something to me. I'd like to know what you meant by the statement that the complaint was based more on his attitude.
9:25 a.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, VIA Rail Canada Inc.
Christena mentioned attitude, so once she researches the details of the complaint, she'll answer.
9:25 a.m.
Conservative
Shelly Glover Conservative Saint Boniface, MB
Okay. I'll ask another question then.
Was the employee in question one of the tested and true bilingual members of your crew?
9:25 a.m.
Conservative
Shelly Glover Conservative Saint Boniface, MB
What was his level of bilingualism, in your opinion? Do you know what his rating was?
9:25 a.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, VIA Rail Canada Inc.
No, but we can check that if you want.
9:25 a.m.
Conservative
Shelly Glover Conservative Saint Boniface, MB
That would be very helpful.
Mr. Chairman, since the witnesses have to put their papers in order to answer my question, may I share my time with Mr. Daniel Petit?
I really like you, Mr. Nadeau, but it is Mr. Petit's turn.
9:25 a.m.
Conservative
9:25 a.m.
Conservative
Daniel Petit Conservative Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC
Excellent.
First of all, I would like to take a few moments to congratulate Mr. Pablo Rodriguez, who is Mr. Ignatieff's new representative in Quebec. Congratulations, it has been recorded.
Mr. Côté, my questions are a little off-topic. My colleague asked questions about the incident itself, but given that I have the opportunity to have you here today, and since VIA Rail is a federal corporation, I would like to know a few things.
I would imagine that you are already aware of the fact that the Bloc Québécois tabled a bill that would oblige all federal corporations to use only French when in Quebec territory under Bill 101.
I would like to know one thing. When your employees work—the employees from Quebec, for example—do they have bilingual or unilingual agreements?
9:25 a.m.
Conservative
Daniel Petit Conservative Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC
In French and English? Naturally, not in French and Spanish, as we said earlier?
9:25 a.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, VIA Rail Canada Inc.
In French and English. I will specify this in future.
9:25 a.m.
Conservative
Daniel Petit Conservative Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC
Your words are being recorded, do not forget that.
9:25 a.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, VIA Rail Canada Inc.
In French and in English, exactly.
9:25 a.m.
Conservative
Daniel Petit Conservative Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC
Secondly, are the grievances filed in English and in French?
9:25 a.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, VIA Rail Canada Inc.
It is the employee who chooses. It may be in both languages. The employee can choose the language of his or her choice. We will receive the grievance in the employee's language of choice.
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Conservative
Daniel Petit Conservative Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC
Could you receive the grievances in any language?
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President and Chief Executive Officer, VIA Rail Canada Inc.
In French or in English.
9:25 a.m.
Conservative
Daniel Petit Conservative Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC
All right.
Here's my main question. You are familiar with Bill 101. This is the obligation to speak only in French in the workplace. Let's say that a company such as yours were subject to this bill. Let's imagine that you are an intercontinental service, or rather a transcontinental service. You leave from Toronto, you arrive at the Quebec border. Without being separate, Quebec can enforce Bill 101. You have all of your bilingual or other employees disembark and you keep only the bilingual francophones. They arrive in New Brunswick and must once again be bilingual. How do you manage that? Have you examined this aspect?
9:25 a.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, VIA Rail Canada Inc.
No, not really. We haven't looked at that specifically, in fact. Nevertheless, I can tell you that, at VIA Rail, as far as access to the employee's language of choice is concerned, as far as the French language is concerned, be it for work, the forms or supervisors... I have been chairing a management committee for six years. The meetings take place in both French and English. The people attending speak the language of their choice. There is no simultaneous translation. All of the members of the management committee are bilingual, and the forms are available in both languages.
Now, what would happen if Bill 101 applied to all of the territory in the province of Quebec? I do not want to make a blunder. I really have not assessed the situation because we haven't got to that point. We have yet to be asked to do this.
9:25 a.m.
Conservative
Daniel Petit Conservative Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC
No, because you hadn't been before us yet.
Nevertheless, I'm going to ask you a question. Is the engineer driving the locomotive not necessarily bilingual?