Official Languages Committee on Dec. 1st, 2009

[Richard Nadeau, Bloc, Gatineau, QC]

You know the situation, and you see the frustration it causes. In our opinion, this has been botched from the start, and what's being done now is all catch-up. It won't be ready for the Games, and once they're over, there will still be work to do.

As airport authorities, you report to the federal government to the extent that this is a federal jurisdiction. This is not something that I can compel, but I would like to know whether it's possible for you to give us your action plan for improving French-language services over the next five or 10 years. I'm convinced that you're planning; that would at least give us a road map.

Until your next appearance, or in the meantime, contact us parliamentarians and the Official Languages Committee. You know who we are. If you don't have the tools to ensure the act is complied with, let us know. Mr. Benoit or the other witnesses should not tell us again that there have only been three complaints. Three complaints conceal a lot of things. Being part of a minority in an anglophone country which is located on an anglophone continent very often means that citizens know how to get by in English. You have the power to decide whether or not people can board an aircraft and fear that they will be denied service. This means that the rights aspect is often set aside. In this case, we're talking about a single service.

We don't want to play at being the police, but we would at least like to know where you are and whether you need any tools. We should be able to be allies. If you have any comments, express them.

[Toby Lennox]

We'd be quite happy to provide our plans both for the Olympic Games and for the long term.

In terms of tools we could use, we could always use additional funding, but that's really not the solution. One of the things that we have found to be particularly helpful is working with the local office of the official languages commissioner, in Toronto. They're no longer doing audits to try to catch us. What they're trying to do is work with us in order to continue to try to refresh the program they have. I have always thought that the resources of the official languages commissioner could in fact be expanded.

One of the challenges you've heard about is that we have turnover and a first languages problem. One thing that could be very helpful would be to strengthen the role of the official languages commissioner by way of providing resources to airport authorities, by way of providing standardized training so that they understand what they're dealing with, and by creating within the official languages commissioner's office an expertise in doing the type of training that would be appropriate at all airports and therefore consistent across the country.

Frankly, if we are going to be dedicating funds to assist with this problem, we will continue to do what we want, but it seems to me that there's a very strong role for the very good work that the official languages commissioner's office is doing in providing assistance and guidance and in standardizing this across the country. So in fact, in what they term a change from being a type of police officer or a check, as you indicated, they can actually be a full resource. We've been working with them in that style now.

We recognize that it's a new style for them, but it really is paying off, because they're actually assisting with our training. If I could ask for a tool, that would be, over the long term--forget the Olympics, but over the long term--a really excellent opportunity for us. Then I would know that the training being used in Toronto is the same as the training being used in Winnipeg, Edmonton, and Calgary.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

You still have one minute.

[Richard Nadeau, Bloc, Gatineau, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Go ahead, Mr. Levy.

[Paul Levy]

At Vancouver International Airport, we certainly understand the important role we play in welcoming the world to Canada. We're up to that challenge. We recognize that we have still more work to do over the coming eight weeks. We'll continue to work forward and even through the Olympic Games. If there are opportunities and things we need to do, we'll adjust to that.

The document I have shared with you presents the 24 initiatives we are putting in place. Some of those are already done. Some will be done in the coming weeks and right up to the Olympic Games. That is our plan moving forward. Our plan is to make sure that each and every one of these initiatives is in place. We will monitor that and measure the performance.

Again, I welcome you, and I hope to see you out there in 2010 at the games so that you can see the pride of the airport authority and the employees of Vancouver International Airport.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Yes, to see the progress for ourselves.

We are now concluding, but there's one member who has not spoken yet, a new member, I think.

Welcome to the committee, Mr. Miller. If you want to, go ahead and ask questions.

[Larry Miller, Conservative, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you to our witnesses for being here.

I can tell you that I'm not going to read from the same song sheet that all the opposition members obviously passed down the table and dramatically tell you how disappointed I am, because I'm not.

I'm very proud, as I think most Canadians are, that the Olympics are coming to Canada, but I also recognize the work it takes to prepare for that. I congratulate all of you in working towards that.

Mr. Benoit, I was very interested in hearing your comments and your presentation. One comment was about how you had trouble finding employees who could speak either one of our official languages. I presume the reason for that is immigrants coming in and what have you and the fact that they can't...

I see that you're nodding, so I take it you're in agreement with that. I hope that some of the changes that Minister Kenney has made in the immigration act will help to deal with that, whereby it's mandatory for somebody... That should be beneficial when you're looking for employees. Would that be a correct assessment?

[Paul Benoit]

Yes. I've tried to put a position of reality and I think an important... I've also read a lot of the testimony from people who've come before the commission, and there's a problem with bilingualism across the whole country in all areas. The law is the law and the law is to be respected, but maybe the law needs help.

To that point, I would echo the point made by my colleague from Toronto. It's fine to say that is the law, but if the reality says it's almost impossible to do it... I'm not looking for excuses. We try constantly. But you've heard every witness who has come before this committee over the last little while basically say that there are issues and problems out there. I think we need your help to make this what we all want.

I'm very proud of the national capital. I'm very proud of our airport. I'm very proud of the national capital region. But I think we need help going forward on this.

[Larry Miller, Conservative, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON]

Thank you.

My five minutes are running out.

Just moving over to Mr. Levy and Ms. Moore, are you basically satisfied overall with your readiness for the Olympics? I realize there's still a lot of work to do in a short period of time, but overall are you satisfied?

[Paul Levy]

We're satisfied with where we are right now. As you said, there is a lot more work to do. We'll continue to work 24 hours a day over the next 10 weeks to get ready for the games and we will continue through the Olympic period.

[Larry Miller, Conservative, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON]

That's good. I see some nodding.

Again, I've heard Mr. Benoit speak to this, but what do you think is the main reason that you've found it so difficult to recruit bilingual staff?

Also, I guess you or anybody from the three airports could answer this one. Since September, have you received directives from central agencies like Canadian Heritage, Treasury Board, or the Privy Council Office about guaranteeing the availability of services in both official languages to the travelling public during the games? If so, what were those directives?

[Toby Lennox]

We have not received any directives, but what we're doing is working very closely with the official languages commissioner's office in Toronto. In fact, Graham Fraser was in our terminal yesterday. We are working with them on training programs. Our relationship is primarily with the official languages commissioner's office to try to make sure we have in place what we need to have in place, both now and subsequently.

[Paul Benoit]

I am not aware of any directives that might have been sent to me, nor am I looking for any.

[Paul Levy]

I don't believe we've received any in Vancouver. We're certainly in dialogue with the commissioner's office and we'll continue to be as we get ready for the games.

[Larry Miller, Conservative, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON]

As you insinuated there, Mr. Lennox, in working with official languages, it's always basically working towards that goal. One of you, probably Mr. Levy or Ms. Moore, mentioned that the changes you're putting in are going to be permanent. Could I assume that any changes that even Toronto and Ottawa airports are making to handle the influx of people would also be permanent?

[Paul Benoit]

Our system is not based on the Vancouver Olympics and it has never been. It is based on our role and our mandate.

[Larry Miller, Conservative, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON]

I understand that.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you, Mr. Miller.

I would like to thank you for coming to our committee this morning. If you have recommendations to the committee such as the ones you've made, or other specific measures regarding official languages, the committee is interested in hearing them. I would invite you to get in touch with our clerk.

Do you have a point of order, Mr. Godin?

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

Yes, well, it's something around that. I'm sure that if the airports in Toronto, Ottawa, or Vancouver were to hire people who spoke only French and not English, Mr. Miller would have more of a problem.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

That's not a point of order.

Now we will adjourn the meeting. Next week, we will hold a meeting on the 40th—

On a point of order, Mr. Miller.

[Larry Miller, Conservative, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON]

Mr. Chairman, in no way did I insinuate what Mr. Godin was saying.

But I did have a point of order I wanted to bring up anyway. I've been on this Hill for five and a half years, Mr. Chairman. I've worked on a number of committees and I have filled in on a number of committees, like today. I enjoyed listening to the content.

But never in my five and half years have I seen such an inequity in the order of questioning. If I did my math right today, I think there were 18 questions asked around the table, and 12 of them came from over there. I don't know how to say “shanghaied” in French, but I'll tell you that this committee has been shanghaied. It's not democracy at all when you--

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[Le président, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

This is a routine motion.

[Richard Nadeau, Bloc, Gatineau, QC]

It's your party that proposed that way of--