Official Languages Committee on Dec. 2nd, 2010

[Nathalie Ferreira]

That's because those positions are in detachments where there are bilingual requirements. We don't have bilingual requirements everywhere in the region. Just to be clear, we are talking about the Atlantic region. Where we have bilingual requirements, we identify the positions as bilingual.

[Claude Gravelle, NDP, Nickel Belt, ON]

Ms. Ferreira, your title is Director of Official Languages at the RCMP. Does that cover all of Canada?

[Nathalie Ferreira]

Yes, that's right.

[Claude Gravelle, NDP, Nickel Belt, ON]

Are there problems elsewhere? We know there are problems in Alberta and British Columbia, but are there some in other provinces as well?

[Nathalie Ferreira]

There certainly are challenges. There will always be challenges that we need to overcome, but all the measures... We have a network of coordinators and stakeholders who make every effort to ensure compliance. So there is a network in place to ensure a level of compliance and to check and make sure problems like that are avoided.

[Claude Gravelle, NDP, Nickel Belt, ON]

Do you know when the problems currently experienced by the RCMP in terms of official languages will be fully solved?

Earlier, we mentioned the website, but there are also problems with Twitter and Facebook.

[Supt Tim Cogan]

Those other forms of mass communication through electronic means are a challenge, there's no question about it. We are understanding of our obligation that they meet the Official Languages Act requirements as well. We are working towards that.

If you look on our national site, you will find that our Facebook page is compliant. E Division is the only other division at the moment that is using Facebook as a method of communicating with the public. They are also using Twitter as a way of driving traffic to the website, which, with the exception of our media releases in that division, is compliant.

This is a work in progress. As new technologies for communication come out, we have to re-emphasize the importance of compliance with the Official Languages Act in the context of the use of those technologies. It's an ongoing struggle, but we are focused on it.

[Claude Gravelle, NDP, Nickel Belt, ON]

If I understood correctly, you have one translator in British Columbia.

[Nathalie Ferreira]

At the moment, yes.

[Claude Gravelle, NDP, Nickel Belt, ON]

Full-time or part-time?

[Nathalie Ferreira]

Full-time, yes.

[Claude Gravelle, NDP, Nickel Belt, ON]

How many translators would you need for the work to get done?

[A/Commr Daniel Dubeau]

That question is really for the regions. The region makes the implementation decisions. There are a number of options. We could have in-house translators or we could contact Public Works and Government Services Canada. We can choose from a number of options to make sure we get things published in both official languages.

[Claude Gravelle, NDP, Nickel Belt, ON]

Since you are using Google to do the translation, it is obvious that one translator is not enough.

[A/Commr Daniel Dubeau]

No, we know that's not enough.

[Claude Gravelle, NDP, Nickel Belt, ON]

How many do you need?

[A/Commr Daniel Dubeau]

I know we were about to hire a second translator. I believe there was a competition to find a second translator. We can also use the services of the Translation Bureau at Public Works and Government Services Canada.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you, Mr. Gravelle.

That's the end of the second round. Are there any members of the committee who would like to go to a third round?

We are going to start the third round with Mr. Murphy.

[Brian Murphy, Liberal, Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, NB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I still have some concerns about the RCMP's comments on bilingualism in general. There still are many issues to be resolved since the RCMP is all for improving its bilingual services across the country.

I want to get back to New Brunswick. We're here because there was an incident in British Columbia regarding a lax use of translation services for public interface. We're being reassured this won't happen. That's the problem. That's why we're here.

I would like a more fervent response, a more converted response, to the issue of the level of bilingual services provided throughout the country. Let's start with British Columbia.

I'll go back to New Brunswick. Obviously I will; you know I will.

We're here because of the Google thing in British Columbia.... No. I think we're here because we have one translator in an employee force of 10,000. My guess is that UPS or Canadian Tire have more translators probably for that number of employees in majority anglophone parts of the country.

One of the things I learned from our tour of the country on official languages, Mr. Chair, was that there are 50,000 francophones in the greater Vancouver area. That's more than there are in Nova Scotia, probably. So there's a community to be served there.

If you're here--and we beg you to say this--requesting that the brass provide you with more resources to have more translation, we applaud that. We're here to help you in this regard, because I don't know how many other people are champions of the issue of better bilingual services for a national institution like the RCMP throughout the country other than this committee. So we're here for you on that.

I'd like to hear a little more fervour about that. I'd like to hear you say that you need better resources in the area of translation. I don't think it's sufficient to say you're here because of this problem and you're going to correct that because you've issued a release and everything will be fine.

Well, that translator, the one person, must be a bit overworked, because there are occasions for community police forces to get out and interface with the public, which they serve, on an immediate basis.

We all know around this table that getting things translated in Ottawa--and we're here--isn't instantaneous. It takes a little while.

So we're here to help. I want to hear more of a college try on that one.

Back to New Brunswick. I want to remind everyone that the RCMP often responds to complaints and often doesn't respond with an immediate yes. I'll remind you of the case involving Marie-Claire Paulin in New Brunswick. You're not here to take the blame for this because you're not the legal representatives of the RCMP, I realize that. But let's be clear. The RCMP resisted a claim by the Société des Acadiens et des Acadiennes du Nouveau-Brunswick for the provincial law, the Official Languages Act of New Brunswick, to apply to the RCMP in the province of New Brunswick. They fought it all the way up to the Supreme Court of Canada. It took a majority decision, nine to zero, in 2008, after paying $135,000 in the other party's legal cost, let alone their own, before the RCMP said yes, we'll comply with provincial laws where we serve the public.

My point to you is that I think there's some resistance at the RCMP with respect to providing bilingual services in this country.

The floor is yours to respond to that--with fervour, I hope.

[A/Commr Daniel Dubeau]

I'll try to respond with the appropriate fervour.

Obviously the first part of your question is on translators. One translator for B.C., it's very clear to us, is obviously not enough. It's been very clear. The commanding officer yesterday--and I was not on the telephone conference call, but my colleagues were--was very clear that we would be 100% compliant. That is the commanding officer for British Columbia.

At that point, how they do that and how many translators they need on staff is their decision, because what they wanted, they have. They understand what the obligations are, and they will conform to the Official Languages Act.

In reference to your second point, on New Brunswick, that is from a court case that I cannot comment on. But once again, I'm sitting here as the co-champion, as the DG in charge of workplace and program services, of which official languages is a component, telling you that we as an organization will conform to the Official Languages Act. That is our intent.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Murphy.

Could you tell me how many officers you have in the Pacific region?

[A/Commr Daniel Dubeau]

We have three categories, including the regular members of the police force. Do you want to know the number of police officers, employees or public servants, including partners?

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

No. You mentioned 1,000 people before.

[Insp Marc Richer]

That was around 6,000 police officers.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you.

Mr. Galipeau.