Official Languages Committee on June 8th, 2010

[Richard Nadeau, Bloc, Gatineau, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you very much, Mr. Nadeau.

We'll continue with Mr. Godin.

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

This is the last question I would like to ask you, commissioner.

You know, when Benoît Sauvageau was a member of Parliament—you weren't commissioner at the time—we talked about contraventions. If the act is violated, there should be a contravention. We've been talking about the same thing for 40 years.

We now have a government that likes to punish and build prisons. Perhaps it's time to ask the government to issue contraventions to those who violate the act.

Do you think you should have greater power? It's still the same question. You have a power of recommendation, and you also have the power to take a case to court. There's always the question whether the commissioner should have more powers.

[Graham Fraser]

You know, Mr. Chairman, that's a question that I always answer cautiously.

When I applied for this position, I did so on the basis of current powers. There is a range of powers under the act. At the office, we're exploring ways of using the existing powers to the maximum, such as our power to intervene in court. However, I am accountable to Parliament, and if you parliamentarians think that the Commissioner of Official Languages—

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

Mr. Fraser, I know you are accountable.

You're an officer of Parliament and you're accountable to Parliament, and everything. You were appointed to this position when legislation was already in place. However, you're a man of experience. You are a person who can grasp the importance of issues. That's in your report; I didn't write it. Your report states that there has been a laissez-faire approach and that things are not being done.

Do we continue just slapping someone on the wrist, while the violations of the act continue, while the laissez-faire approach continues, and the departments don't take the matter seriously? It's all well and good to say that good things are happening, but they aren't all good things.

[Graham Fraser]

I entirely agree.

In my mind, a debate on the issue should be conducted with the other officers of Parliament as well. Can the same person be asked to play the role of ombudsman, on the one hand, and have a power of order, on the other? Would that require that another institution be established?

This is a quite complex issue, and I'm entirely prepared to undertake that discussion with parliamentarians. However, I don't think it is appropriate for me to say whether I should have a power of order or punishment. You can't be both judge and party.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you, commissioner.

Thank you, Mr. Godin.

Mr. Généreux, it's your turn.

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen.

I am the Conservative member for Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, which is probably one of the most, if not the most, francophone constituency in Canada. There are obviously not a lot of public servants in that constituency. However, there are a lot of private businesses and they have exported increasingly in the past 40 years. Bilingualism has become a fundamental aspect of work for the employees of those businesses. It's inevitable, and it's part of the wealth of my constituency to have people who are so open to bilingualism.

Earlier Mr. Nadeau said a word that sent shivers down my spine. I use a little humour like the Bloc members do in all their presentations. He referred to French as a “burden”.

Ms. Tremblay, Mr. Giguère, Ms. Charlebois, Ms. Cloutier and Mr. Fraser, do you consider French as a “burden” in Canada?

[Graham Fraser]

Absolutely not.

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

Thank you. I think it's an asset and a Canadian reality. I'm a Conservative. Is that clear enough? I can say that. Is that clear enough?

[Some voices]

Oh, oh!

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

In Quebec, we say “clear as spring water”. It's incredible. The role of the Bloc members on the committee is to tarnish our image. And they do it very well; they're very good in that area. Yours is to be neutral. You do that very well. I respect that. Your role, in my mind, is to criticize constructively. You do that not only in committee, but also on the radio. A few weeks ago, I was listening to Christiane Charette's program; I happened to be listening to the radio. You said that the Prime Minister's behaviour toward linguistic duality and bilingualism was exemplary. I was very pleased to hear that.

I'm not perfectly bilingual, and the Prime Minister isn't either. However, we make an effort. In committee, I listen to the remarks in the language spoken by the people; I don't use the interpretation. Since I joined the committee six months ago—I've been married to an English-speaking Montrealer for 22 years and my children are perfectly bilingual—I try to listen to the evidence in the language spoken. We work hard and I appreciate it. This is a source of wealth for me.

[Graham Fraser]

Absolutely. I think it's central to the Canadian identity.

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

I can't believe that, in 2010, there are still people who say that French is a “burden” on Canada in an attempt to give the government a bad image. Come on! I can't believe people can say those kinds of things. In your report, you wrote: “There is no single solution that will quickly and easily transform the entire public service into a work place where English and French are on an equal footing.”

Did you have a date with regard to “quickly” and “easily”? We've been talking about this for 40 years. We're probably going to talk about it for another 150, 200 or 300 years. It's part of Canada, of our reality. Am I mistaken in saying that?

[Graham Fraser]

That's an opinion I had long before becoming Commissioner of Official Languages. The language issue is central to Canada's identity, history, past and future, just as class is in Great Britain and race in the United States. It isn't something you resolve then move on to something else. It's a dynamic. We have two majority unilingual societies that mingle with each other, that live together. The challenge is to ensure that ties, bridges are established between those two communities. One of the most important institutions serving those two linguistic communities is the federal government. Is it easy, will it be resolved by an annual report, a study that we'll publish next year or a bill and so on? No. It's an ongoing effort.

In addition, our country takes in between 225,000 to 250,000 persons a year who haven't experienced our history or our linguistic struggles. So this is an effort that will have to be made again, a story that will have to be told, an education that will have to be redone constantly in order to welcome these people into our country and to make them understand the dynamic, the hope and the ideal that that represents for our country.

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

Two weeks ago, we went to a school and met a young lady named Andréa, who speaks four languages. When she arrived here, she spoke two. Now, a year later, she speaks four. It's not impossible; it's achievable.

[Graham Fraser]

Yes, absolutely.

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

I've been married to an anglophone for 22 years; we don't understand each other after all that time, but we love each other very much.

[Some voices]

Oh, oh!

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

We should tell the Supreme Court that and vote for the bill.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

We see that time passes quickly in good company. Commissioner—and the members of your team—thank you for coming to present your report to us today.

We'll see each other on Thursday for committee business.

The meeting is adjourned.