Official Languages Committee on Oct. 29th, 2009

[James Moore, Conservative, Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC]

This is directly related to your question. We want to improve the situation, but the government also has to protect the interests of all taxpayers.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

You have 20 seconds left, Mr. Nadeau.

[Richard Nadeau, Bloc, Gatineau, QC]

In the remaining 20 seconds, there's one thing that's important, and that's the sequence question. We'll talk about that later. When the associations ask Canadian Heritage how far along it is in evaluating their application, or signing the cheque, they aren't given an answer; they're left in the fog, nowhere.

I would ask you to ensure, under your authority, that, when the federations or partner associations in projects telephone to request that kind of information, they can be told the actual situation regarding the stage the analysis of their application has reached, as well as when the chequel enabling them to operate their organization will be arriving.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you, Mr. Nadeau.

[James Moore, Conservative, Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC]

I agree. I think it should be as simple as the following.

If you're shipping a package across Canada by FedEx, you can call the number and find out where your package is in the process. It should be that simple for these organizations as well.

So I agree that it should be simple. With all the digital technologies at our disposal, that should be possible. We're doing everything we can to improve the situation, to use technology and to work with the organizations. In addition, a lot of this money is approved in the regions, and we want that information to be more available to people sooner.

[Judith LaRocque]

May I add something?

We'll have very specific service standards by April 1. That's now a requirement of the Treasury Board's Blue Ribbon Panel. We were one of the departments that was there at the start to try to establish service standards so that the application of the entire process would be more transparent.

So this is underway for April 1. These service standards will be published on our website. The communities will be able to rely on them and to follow the process of their application. This is a major step forward. Getting there has been difficult—

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you.

[Judith LaRocque]

—but it will be in place starting on April 1, 2010.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Mr. Nadeau.

Mr. Godin.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Welcome to the minister, deputy ministers and those who are perhaps guarding the communities' money, I don't know. Welcome to Mr. Lussier and all those nice people.

Minister, you say you agree. I'm pleased that someone has finally said he agrees, but now we have to see the product. You said in your speech that you were the only minister who went to Prince Edward Island to visit the community. Congratulations!

If you went to Prince Edward Island, here and there, you saw on the ground that things are not working. I don't want to repeat everything my colleagues have said, but they mentioned, for example, that the money arrived in July or August. As for the 25% in April, some of it arrived in June.

Do you really believe in these organizations, like the FCFA, the Fédération des francophones de Terre-Neuve et du Labrador, and the one in Prince Edward Island? Personally, do you think, as minister, that those organizations are really on the ground, that they are doing a good job and that they are needed?

[James Moore, Conservative, Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC]

Obviously, yes.

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

Thank you. I asked you only one question. You answered, yes; I'm satisfied.

[James Moore, Conservative, Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC]

Absolutely, yes. They're necessary.

Personally, I used those organizations when I learned French in British Columbia, in a community that was 96% anglophone. I used those organizations myself. That's why our government has increased funding to those organizations.

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

Bravo! I heard about all the increases. I thank you for that.

Now we're going to talk about the problem on the ground. People tell us that, after receiving all those thousands or millions of dollars, because of the delay and the fact they have had to use lines of credit, this costs them up to $1,000 in interest.

Is your government prepared to return to those communities the money they've actually lost because of the delays caused by the Treasury Board and the new regulations? They've lost that money. That's money that the community can't use. Are you prepared to reimburse them for that interest?

[James Moore, Conservative, Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC]

My deputy minister tells me that, even if everyone was in the same situation, the Treasury Board rules do not permit it.

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

These are minor things, minister. For example, you'll remember talking about the Congrès mondial acadien. A week before that event, the political parties were forced to intervene so that Newfoundland could get money to send delegates to the Congrès mondial acadien. Does that make any sense?

Minister, your intentions are good. However, someone in the hierarchy is keeping the documents on his desk and not doing his job. It makes no sense. As you said, FedEx can leave Ottawa and get to Newfoundland in the same day. It's senseless that a document should take two to three months to get to its destination. Your intentions are good, you say you agree. I'm sure that, if the document appears before you, you'll sign it, but someone somewhere isn't doing his job at Canadian Heritage.

And I don't think it's someone in Moncton, Newfoundland or in those places. I think that it's here in Ottawa, that there are too many offices receiving documents, which go from one place to another but don't go directly to you.

[James Moore, Conservative, Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC]

There isn't any crisis as such in all the regions of Canada, but there are clearly problems in the process. I've heard the same thing as you on that point. We're making changes. This is the first opportunity I've had as minister to make those changes for next year. The situation will clearly be improved for people on the ground.

Everything you've heard, I heard as well in my first year as minister responsible for official languages. Changes will be made, and the situation will be better next year.

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

The FCFA people told us this morning that they were about to apply for a line of credit to help the communities in Canada. We're coming to the end of October, and this situation is still unresolved. Unless you can explain to me things that neither the communities nor I understand, I don't see how, in the circumstances, the communities could do what they have to do, develop and shoulder their responsibilities.

[James Moore, Conservative, Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC]

There was clearly a problem in a number of departments in the past. The former government threw money out the window.

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

I don't accept that argument, minister. You've been here since 2006, so the time to put the blame on the other government is over.

[James Moore, Conservative, Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC]

Let me finish—

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

You've been around since 2006, and it's now 2009—

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Mr. Godin, your time is up.

[James Moore, Conservative, Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC]

There was a problem in the past as a result of the fact that the government distributed unlimited amounts of taxpayer money to the organizations.

Let me finish—

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Pardon me, but we're going to come back to your exchange later.

Allow me to move on—