Official Languages Committee on Nov. 30th, 2010

[Tilly O'Neill-Gordon, Conservative, Miramichi, NB]

What area of New Brunswick will you go to in January?

[Daniel J. Caron]

We're meeting them in Fredericton.

[Tilly O'Neill-Gordon, Conservative, Miramichi, NB]

That's not too bad. If you were going up to the Acadian peninsula, you might have been in for lots of snow or something like that.

I wish you could go during a better month, but anyway, you'll be welcome, I'm sure.

[Daniel J. Caron]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you, Ms. O'Neill-Gordon. We'll stay tuned.

We'll now go to Mr. Gravelle and complete the second round.

[Claude Gravelle, NDP, Nickel Belt, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I can't congratulate you. If I had gone home with a report card full of Es and Ds when I was at school, I wouldn't have been very popular. I can assure you of that.

[A voice]

You would have been punished.

[Claude Gravelle, NDP, Nickel Belt, ON]

I really would have been punished.

In my opinion, the fact that you think that bilingualism should be introduced voluntarily represents a major step backwards. I attended a bilingual school. When someone goes to a bilingual school, he's attending an English school. It's not a French school or a bilingual school. I hope that will never be a voluntary decision.

When did you last meet with the Commissioner of Official Languages in person to discuss official languages?

[Daniel J. Caron]

When did I meet Mr. Fraser?

--last summer--

It was in the summer, when he came to the meeting of agency heads. In fact, it wasn't a face-to-face meeting.

[Claude Gravelle, NDP, Nickel Belt, ON]

Have you met him face to face?

[Daniel J. Caron]

No.

[Claude Gravelle, NDP, Nickel Belt, ON]

Don't you think that might be a good idea to go and meet him personally so he can give you specific instructions on how to improve the situation?

[Daniel J. Caron]

We could do that. We worked very closely, Mr. Fraser and I, when I was president of the Council of the Network of Official Languages Champions. Yes, absolutely, we can meet.

Moreover, we are going to analyze the results because we ourselves were surprised. We're not pleased with the mark either.

[Claude Gravelle, NDP, Nickel Belt, ON]

It seems that some people are happy, but I'm not. Es are not encouraging.

From a practical standpoint, do you find the commissioner's work useful?

[Daniel J. Caron]

Yes, I believe so.

I think the commissioner does very useful work that sends very useful messages about how we work.

[Claude Gravelle, NDP, Nickel Belt, ON]

How could the commissioner make your life easier? What else could he do to help you?

[Daniel J. Caron]

I don't think he can do anything more, no. I think he's doing his job. He's an officer of Parliament who is doing a good job.

Perhaps I'd like to go back over what you said about volunteer work. I think that may be misinterpreted. I entirely agree with the act. What I said at the School of Public Service was that we had to go beyond that and go with something a little more fundamental than simply B or C levels, that it had to be more felt. I want to be clear on that point. It's not one or the other; we have to go further.

[Claude Gravelle, NDP, Nickel Belt, ON]

To go further, you think it would be better if the effort were voluntary.

[Daniel J. Caron]

No, the act is right. What I'm saying is that, even with the act, we have to go further personally. It's also a matter of people, individuals, who have to get involved in this linguistic duality. That was my message.

[Claude Gravelle, NDP, Nickel Belt, ON]

All right. Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you very much, Mr. Gravelle.

We've just completed the second round. That ultimately completes the meeting.

Mr. Bélanger has a question. If I have committee members' consent, we'll proceed diligently

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

Monsieur Melanson, you said in response to a question by Madam O'Neill-Gordon that you have not reported to the heritage department vis-à-vis what you've done with regard to section 41.

[Mark Melanson]

To my knowledge that is the case, but I'll check that when I get back, and I can bring that back to the committee.

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

Please do, because it is my understanding that Canadian Heritage has the responsibility government-wide to make sure that particular section of the law--the law itself--is respected. Furthermore, your institution falls within the Department of Canadian Heritage, on top of that.

So if you don't have to report to them, do they ask anybody to report? That's the next question. It's not a question I can ask of you, but what you said is very significant.

You're the champion?

[Mark Melanson]

I will be the champion within a couple of months.