Official Languages Committee on Oct. 20th, 2009

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

Imagine that an airplane is coming in from France and that all the passengers must go through customs. Holy smoke! If there is only one officer to look after the entire group, that will take a long time.

I am wondering what the policy is in Toronto. Is it designated bilingual? Are the customs officers working there bilingual?

[Camille Therriault-Power]

A considerable percentage of the officers are able to speak—

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

I would like you to tell the committee what that percentage is.

The same applies to Vancouver. What is Vancouver's designation? In Alberta, the percentage of francophones was less than 5% in certain areas, and so it is not necessary to offer bilingual services there. I can tell you that things are easier in that direction.

For example, in Lamèque, New Brunswick, 100% of the population is francophone. However, Canada Post decided to designate its Lamèque office bilingual. But this designation doesn't seem to cause problems. People seem to think that customers need service in both official languages in order to go and pick up letters.

However, in Toronto, where people come from all over the world speaking different languages, in a bilingual country—

[Camille Therriault-Power]

In answer to your question, I would like to say that we are already offering a service. Some people think that it could be better. We know that with the Olympic Games in February of next year, there will be an increase in the number of travellers coming from francophone countries. This is why we are trying to plan ahead and to train our officers so that we can offer the service.

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

I do not really care to discuss the Olympic Games.

[Camille Therriault-Power]

Our officers will not leave after the Games. They will keep their jobs and continue offering the service. They will be better trained. This legacy of the Olympic Games will be good for the agency and for Canadian travellers.

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

These things must be said. The Olympic Games will come and will go. We want to know what kind of service will be offered afterward. Thus, you could give us the current percentage, the future percentage and the percentage in Vancouver.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you, Mr. Godin.

With regard to another issue, I forgot to tell you that Mr. Chong's absence seems to be justified because his spouse gave birth to a third child last night. Maybe we could congratulate him. It is a boy.

We hear a lot about body searches. Let us imagine that as I leave the Quebec airport, I go through a search and I put my BlackBerry in a basket. If I understand correctly, CATSA is in charge of this. Have you anything to do with CATSA?

[Camille Therriault-Power]

No.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

If the person who gives me a basket addresses me in English while I want to be served in French, it is...

[Camille Therriault-Power]

I think that it has to do, very indirectly, with the Department of Transportation, because this involves a private company.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Nevertheless, it is a part of the offer. Someone who is going to the Olympic Games does not know whether it has to do with you or with CATSA, and little do they care. If the committee is concerned with French-language service as a whole, this could be an avenue. Thus, you are not the one...

[Camille Therriault-Power]

We are working with CATSA, Air Canada and others as we plan for the Olympic Games. Upon arrival at the airport, CATSA is in charge of security and of searching the luggage. However, travellers who arrive in Canada see us first.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Very well.

Let us begin our third round with Mr. D'Amours. You are lucky, a second is never without a third.

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

Mr. Paquet, earlier you said that the documents were available in French. I wanted to intervene, and you will see what I am driving at. Let me come back to the same case. A citizen from my riding asked the lady who was supervising the test if she could have a copy of the test in French. The lady refused under the pretext that if she had the French version, it would amount to discrimination against the anglophones. You said that it was available. They put a French version on a corner of the supervisor's desk during the test and she was told not to move around too often to consult the contents of the French exam so as not to disturb the others.

Could you explain why they cannot offer the test in French if someone requests it? If they take the trouble of putting a test in French on a corner of the supervisor's desk during the exam, why can they not distribute the same exam in French to those who want it even if the course is in English?

[Pierre Paquet]

You make an excellent point. The practice you're describing was the one in effect at the time the individual from your riding wrote that test in Rigaud. That took place before the official languages commissioner's investigation. We changed our practices following that investigation. Now, if a francophone individual taking a course in English requests the test in French, then a copy is made and that individual is provided with their own exam in French on their own desk. People can now choose to write the exam in French, in English, or partly in French and partly in English. All choices are accepted.

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

In the end, my constituent was let go for no reason.

[Pierre Paquet]

No.

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

I speak English better than I write it. Let us imagine that I take the test, that I have an English version, that I'm able to read the questions in French but I have to respond in English. Obviously I won't do as well. The best way to fire me is to give me a test in English and make me respond in English even if I do have the questions in French.

Let's go even further. What about those comments to the effect that people shouldn't come to look at the test too often, once or twice at the most, because it might disturb others, or because it would constitute discrimination towards the other students? I was very angry when I became aware of this.

Let us also recall some of the other statements that the official languages commissioner made. Perhaps you have made some improvements, but if you did make those improvements, it was only because a problem was raised. If that problem took place once, I can't believe it was the only time. Furthermore, you have corroborated this by saying that that was the practice.

I am certain that over the next 24 hours, I will be receiving a tonne of emails at my office, accusing me of having over-defended the francophones. It doesn't matter, because this simply makes no sense.

[Pierre Paquet]

Mr. Chairman, what I can tell the member is that he is clearly dealing with two diametrically opposed positions: the plaintiff's version and that of the program I represent.

I can assure you that I am a francophone and I am very sensitive to these issues, and the management team in Rigaud is made up, in part, of bilingual francophones and bilingual anglophones. We have nothing to gain from refusing access to material in the second language, whether that be French towards English or English towards French. The material has already been drafted and is available.

I can understand that in this specific case, because the exam was not directly provided on the desk of the individual taking the test, it became evident that the process could be improved, and we did that. That was an issue of exam monitoring.

However, we felt that... The statement made by the official languages commissioner was not a recommendation, but rather a comment to the effect that an extra copy—

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

Mr. Paquet, allow me to continue because my time is precious.

If one of the problems was the result obtained by this woman, who was told that it was over, then she should have been allowed to continue or to take the course again, given that there were discriminatory elements involved. She should have been treated fairly in light of the final results that determine whether a person is capable of continuing or not.

I know that my time is almost up, but I have other issues I would like to raise. With respect to this one, you said you agree. I could continue with many other questions.

[Pierre Paquet]

When we were examining this case we did look at this situation very closely in order to determine whether there had been prejudice with respect to this participant and her result, given the fact that the exam had not been put directly on her desk. With the assistance of the commissioner, we concluded that this was not the case, that there had been no prejudice with respect to the result or performance of that individual.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you very much Mr. D'Amours.

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

If all the other aspects that I raised previously were considered, they may show that this woman could have continued the course and succeeded.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you Mr. D'Amours.

You are right about the available time.

Mr. Galipeau.