Official Languages Committee on Nov. 25th, 2010

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

I don't know your plan; I haven't seen it. May we have a copy of it?

[Susan Gregson]

Yes, of course.

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

All right. Another one is coming up, isn't it?

[Susan Gregson]

Yes, in March 2011.

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

I'm jumping from one thing to another, but how do you align your current plan, the one for 2009-2011, with your responsibility under Part VII of the Official Languages Act?

[Susan Gregson]

Would you like some examples?

Well, for example, at missions abroad we participate in

the Journées de la Francophonie.

I'll just give you some examples from my own background. That might be helpful.

As I explained to the chair earlier, I've had seven postings abroad, most recently as head of mission in Shanghai, China. Every year we would organize activities around a week of la Francophonie with other heads of mission from francophone countries. There were often cultural events. We would have cultural events that were performed by Canadian performers. We would make sure that we cooperated with the other heads of mission so that we would draw the public's attention to the fact that Canada is a bilingual country and that we are a participant in the Francophonie events.

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

You do that once a year.

[Susan Gregson]

Well, that's just one example.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

You have one minute left, Mr. Bélanger.

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

You have an Office of the Inspector General in the department.

[Susan Gregson]

Yes.

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

In 2007, the Commissioner of Official Languages recommended that, in September 2008, you adopt a practice, the practice of reporting on official languages in each of the audits conducted by the Inspector General. Did he do that?

[Susan Gregson]

Yes.

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

May we have a copy of his observations for 2008, 2009 and 2010, or those that have been done?

[Susan Gregson]

Copies of the reports—

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Yes.

[Susan Gregson]

—or copies of the bilingualism inspections?

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

I want to know the Inspector General's comments on official languages.

[Susan Gregson]

Yes.

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Incidentally, your deputy minister will be testifying on the commissioner's report. We want to prepare.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you, Mr. Bélanger.

We'll continue with Mr. Nadeau.

[Richard Nadeau, Bloc, Gatineau, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Good morning, mesdames. I strongly suggest that you pick up your pencils, even though there will be minutes of the meeting. I'm going to be very polite. I'm extremely skeptical about what you said, Ms. Gregson. If we were in the locker room between two periods, I wouldn't believe you at all and I would tell you. Do you understand?

I'm going to give you some examples of places where there are no services in French where they are requested at the embassies. One-third of citizen files in the constituency of Gatineau concern all kinds of immigration issues in general, that is all of its aspects. Few cases involve passports, but a lot of cases are about visas for refugees.

On September 29, a Dominican citizen requested an interview in French, as the interview was supposed to be conducted solely in English, with Creole interpretation. She requested an interview in French. The embassy officer told the lady that was impossible, that this was the last opportunity for her to have the interview and that, if she refused, her case would be rejected.

If that isn't a major violation of that person's rights, it's a slap right in the face. It's utterly unacceptable. The person doesn't want to reveal her name. I understand her. In all the cases I'm going to cite for you here, I understand the people. They're afraid of your department. They're afraid of the embassies because they can deny them entry to the country of loved ones. Is that understandable?

So don't give me any of the nonsense you read me earlier; I don't believe it.

This person believes that a language conflict could be the reason why her request was denied. That's what happens when people don't understand each other; they're not very certain about the language. That happened on September 29, 2010. We were all alive that day. Incidentally, that was in Santo Domingo, in the Dominican Republic.

I'm going to cite you another example, which occurred at the Canadian embassy in Bogota. From September 2007 to March 2008, they handled an important file there for which there was a lot of correspondence. Our information was sent in French, but they answered us in English only. They don't have a translation agency for people. They didn't answer us in French. We have to translate the correspondence for our people. We're in Canada, not in the 51st American state.

In July 2010, again in Bogota, Colombia, a Colombian requested communications in French and received an answer in English only, and the visa application was denied. Would that be because he did not speak good English?

In Kampala, Uganda, in March 2009—I'm not going back to time immemorial—an e-mail communication was sent. We were told that it was impossible to obtain communications in French, that that was done in English only. It's all well and good to tell us it's a former British colony, I don't care. I'm in Quebec and I want to be served in French. The francophone federalists here also have a right to be served in French if they so wish. Do you understand me? That happened at the embassy.

I have another example that concerns London, England. In April 2009, I had the opportunity to chat with Tony Blair on my Palestinian mission to Jerusalem, the purpose of which was to go and observe the situation of the Palestinians. We spoke in French. He's British. And yet the Canadians there—regardless of how they define themselves; that's their choice—were unable to answer us in French. And yet the British Prime Minister spoke French to me. It's quite extraordinary. It was really ugly.

In Teheran, Iran, in August 2007, there was an extremely difficult case involving some sensitive issues; you can't imagine—perhaps you have an idea because you work at the Department of Foreign Affairs. Those people came and cried in our offices. They weren't even able to obtain the information they wanted, in French, from their embassy in Teheran in an extremely sensitive situation.

Mr. Kenney was made aware of that because there was correspondence in place and we didn't want those people to be short-circuited. That's the feeling I get about this. There's no scientific basis for what I'm saying here. Because services weren't provided in French, I get the impression they short-circuited the work or even the possibility for these people to get what we think they were entitled to. There was a lapse of time. We understand all that.

Whatever the case may be, I believe none of what you told me earlier.

I went to Ramallah, Palestine. Mr. Bilodeau received us. We're not talking about an embassy in this case because Palestine isn't yet a country. It's a consulate or something like that. Mr. Bilodeau speaks very good English and French. His father was an embassador. In view of the fact that he had to go to Palestine, to the Middle East, he had to spend a year in Ottawa learning Arabic, which he doesn't complain about. I don't speak any Arabic. He was our interpreter for a while there.

If that gentleman had to learn Arabic because he had to go and work in an Arab country—which I entirely understand—how is it that people at our embassies who represent Quebeckers and Canadians answer, "Sorry, we don't offer the service in French?" My employee, in my constituency, deals with those nice people. You'll understand the paradox.

I don't know whether I'm stirring up emotions, but one thing is for sure: today, people will want to know what your have to say in response to this situation and what you're going to do to correct it.

I read the 2007 annual report of the Commissioner of Official Languages and his 2008 recommendations with regard to your department. These people are supposed to have their CBC language levels. However, there are places where the heads of mission can't even be bothered to get them.

I'm waiting for an answer. What do you have to tell me on that subject?

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Mr. Nadeau, perhaps you'll have to wait for the next round.

[Richard Nadeau, Bloc, Gatineau, QC]

Then it will be in the next round, madam.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Your time is up.

We'll now move on to Mr. Gravelle.