Official Languages Committee on April 22nd, 2010

[Marie-France Kenny]

Yes, there has been progress. For instance, in the health care sector.

I could talk about all the good things. However, since we don't have a lot of time, we would like to talk about how we can work together to improve things. As we said, we want to be part of the solution. I did not come here to complain.

I would like to point out another problem. The Roadmap focuses a lot on strengthening government infrastructure in the interest of providing service. But people did not realize, or they did not consider the fact, that we are the ones who provide these services, since we are on the front lines. Yet our current infrastructure, that is, the organizations that actually provide the services, has not been strengthened.

Under the Roadmap, projects have been undertaken and money invested. However, when the Roadmap ends and we move on to something else, we will still need to provide those services. But we will not be able to continue providing these services unless our funding is increased. For me, this is very important. Investment in infrastructure has been increased, in the Centre of Excellence and elsewhere. We should not forget to make other investments, as well.

Can I tell you about all the progress which has been made? As I said, there has been lots of progress and consultation in the areas of culture and health. We consulted with the members of our organizations, and they told us that funding had been given to Franco Médias 2010 and to the legal sector. There have been consultations and there have been projects. So there has been progress.

I don't want to omit to say that there has been progress, and that investment has had a significant impact, even though it wasn't as much as we had hoped for. The government had established priorities even before the Roadmap came out. Our Roadmap was the Strategic Community Plan, which we have just finished. In some areas, we followed the lead of the Roadmap. In others, we felt that it was better not to take into account the Roadmap's priorities.

Has there been progress elsewhere? Absolutely. I don't want to lie to you. On the contrary there has been a lot of progress.

[Sylvie Boucher, Conservative, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

All right.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Mr. Donnelly, you have the floor.

[Robert Donnelly]

The reason we were asked to come here today is because there are outstanding issues. We did not come to tell you that everything was perfect.

[Sylvie Boucher, Conservative, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

No, of course not. But I'd still like to know.

[Robert Donnelly]

That doesn't mean there hasn't been any progress. We've agreed on that.

The amounts invested in arts and culture under Canadian Heritage under the new Roadmap are totally new since they were not part of the action plan. That's a positive change. However, two and a half years after the start of the Roadmap, we're still fighting for access to those funds for our communities in Quebec. It is true that it's only two and a half years after the start of the program, not five years, but we're still fighting. The money is available, but we have to come up with the appropriate plans. We're working very hard and it's not an easy task.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you very much.

[Sylvie Boucher, Conservative, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

You represent an anglophone community in Quebec?

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you, Mrs. Boucher. If there's any time left, you can come back with more questions.

We'll go on to Mr. Godin.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Maybe we could ask Ms. Glover to appear as a witness before the committee at its next meeting.

You're not here to shower praise on anyone, but rather to let us know what is not working with this Roadmap. That's what we want to hear about. It's up to the government to take note of what is being said. We have very little time.

We have a table here that indicates that there were cuts at the Treasury Board Secretariat. Available funds went from $72 million down to $17 million. For the public service, the monies available went from $72 million down to $17 million. This must certainly affect someone somewhere. Under the heading “Investing in Innovation”, we can see that the funding has gone down from $15.7 million to nothing at all. The funds available for the Centre of Excellence have gone up, from $13 million to $17 million. On the other hand, under the heading “Rebuilding Capacity (Public Service Commission)”, we know that the funding has gone down from $43 million to nothing at all. As for consultations, we're talking about consultations with the departments, with the appropriate minister. There is not a single person who represents everybody in government.

I'm sorry, but with all due respect, I think that it's not up to the parliamentary secretary to try and solve on her own the problems your communities are facing, be they English or French-speaking communities. Community members have the right to meet with the minister to tell him or her what is wrong. That's what we call consultation. Moreover, the minister is responsible for contacting you and consulting you. You shouldn't have to beg to have a meeting with him and simply be told that he will be able to see you in six months which is clearly a sign of a lack of respect. I'm convinced that some people in Canada meet ministers far more often than that. They don't have to wait six months. Under the heading “Reducing waiting lists for language training”, funds went from $13 million to zero.

What do you think of all this?

[Marie-France Kenny]

Mr. Godin, allow me to point out that there was a reduction in infrastructure capacity development. In fact, no money has been available since the very start to develop community infrastructure. We are the ones who have to provide a service to the community. I think it's unfortunate that the innovations fund was cancelled under the action plan, since it allowed us to build official language capacity especially in the regions, and the provinces.

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

In the health sector, there's nothing to be that proud of. I simply want to tell you about what we went through. The organization Égalité santé en français, in New Brunswick, has two distinct entities, an English health authority and a French health authority. I'll give you a few numbers. Cardiac laboratories, French authority, none; English authority, three. Heart surgery centres, French authority, none; English authority, one. Neurosurgery centres, French authority, none; English authority, two. Child psychiatry units, French authority, none, English authority, one. Traumatology centres, French authority, none; English authority, two. PET scan, French authority, none; English authority, one. Burn centres, French authority, none, English authority, two. Tertiary neonatal units, French authority, none, English authority, three. Unbelievable! We can really wonder what's happened to equality in services.

[Marie-France Kenny]

I can't offer you any answer. On the other hand, I can tell you that there has been progress in the health sector in some regions, that we have been consulted and that monies were made available for the projects that had been announced. We musn't forget that health is funded through transfers to the provinces and the accountability should be found at that level.

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

According to the Official Languages Act, the government is responsible for distributing funds to the provinces. That is the case for Quebec as well, be it in the sector of health or other fields. We have to make sure that we support the regions where minorities live.

[Marie-France Kenny]

It might then be a good idea to review the language clause regarding transfer payments to provinces and territories, a clause that still remains from our point of view extremely vague. It might be worth reviewing this clause.

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

Well, we'll need to have another consultation.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you, Mr. Godin.

Before we enter the third round, I would like to ask Mr. Donnelly a question.

In your presentation, Mr. Donnelly, you mentioned that especially for Quebec, for the most part, services that have a direct impact on our communities fall within provincial jurisdiction. You mentioned that the devolution of federal responsibilities provides significant challenges to those charged with designing and implementing the road map in Quebec.

Do you feel that as a committee we could help to ensure that the responsibilities devolved to Quebec are undertaken and that services are provided to the English-speaking community?

[Robert Donnelly]

It's absolutely become a priority for us, especially over the last two years. When the talks begin on a devolution of powers, they have to keep in mind that when it involves Quebec, we are there, we have rights, we have communities, and we have to be taken into account. It's always, oh, yes, they're there, but it's already been done.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

In which field is it? Is it in health? Is there any particular domain, or is it all of them?

[Sylvia Martin-Laforge]

I know. It's employment.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

It's employment.

[Sylvia Martin-Laforge]

Yes.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

You mentioned health and immigration in your presentation, but employment would be a key issue.

[Sylvia Martin-Laforge]

I think employment would be a key issue.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Yes, I think you mentioned employment in your first testimony when you came.

Very well. Thank you very much.

Madam Zarac, you have the floor.