Official Languages Committee on Dec. 2nd, 2010

[Royal Galipeau, Conservative, Ottawa—Orléans, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

When did you receive the invitation to appear before the committee today?

[A/Commr Daniel Dubeau]

At the beginning of November.

[Royal Galipeau, Conservative, Ottawa—Orléans, ON]

So the fact that you had to be here this morning did not come to you as a surprise.

[A/Commr Daniel Dubeau]

No.

[Royal Galipeau, Conservative, Ottawa—Orléans, ON]

I must admit that I was personally surprised to see that you were not able to provide us with figures when you were asked questions about the communications budget or the delivery of services in French. The goal of the meeting was not to discuss the hanging of Louis Riel, but to discuss services provided in both official languages in one of the 10 Canadian provinces. Perhaps you need to consult a dictionary like theOxford English Dictionary or the Merriam-Webster to get the definition for the word “champion” so that you can really take on that role.

This is a very important stetson you have there, that of being a champion for the official languages.

This whole story started with an isolated incident. But, even though that case was in the spotlight, I don't think this is really about a particular case, but it is rather a question of attitude. Earlier, Mr. Rickford quoted a document that was just issued yesterday afternoon. It was saying how cumbersome it was to have to comply with the Official Languages Act.

I am concerned about one thing. I assume you came here this morning in an RCMP vehicle.

[A/Commr Daniel Dubeau]

Yes.

[Royal Galipeau, Conservative, Ottawa—Orléans, ON]

We can see your coat of arms on the car. You also wear it in two places on your jacket. The coat of arms dates back to 1952. The RCMP goes back to 1873. And the Official Languages Act came into force in 1969.

About ten years ago, I wrote to my MP. I told him about all the communication between us and about the fact that your coat of arms, which is very beautiful by the way, did not have your name in both official languages. If you look at it, you will see that it actually just says “Royal Canadian Mounted Police”. It is a nice name. My mom gave it to me as well. But your coat of arms does not say “Gendermerie royale du Canada”. This attitude problem might even be connected to that.

I can understand having the coat of arms only in English in 1952, but I think we should have questioned that in 1969. When Canadians raised the question and a renowned MP, who happened to be my MP, wrote to you about it ten years ago or so, you answered that you were going to look into the issue. If you keep looking into it this way, you are going to end up straining your eyes. The situation has to be rectified because that's where this attitude is coming from. This is about your image. You do a good job, especially when you wear your red serge.

Thank you very much.

[A/Commr Daniel Dubeau]

As a co-champion, I know my role very well. When I see things like that, I am very disappointed. Our expectations at the RCMP are very clear: we must comply with the Official Languages Act and respect Canada's official languages.

[Royal Galipeau, Conservative, Ottawa—Orléans, ON]

Do you understand about the arms...?

[A/Commr Daniel Dubeau]

About the crest, yes, we do understand, and obviously it's something we have to discuss to see where we are with that.

[Royal Galipeau, Conservative, Ottawa—Orléans, ON]

How many years of discussion, how many decades of discussion, does it take? It's been 40 years since the law was put in place. It's been 10 years since my MP wrote to you.

[A/Commr Daniel Dubeau]

Sir, if I may, Nathalie was about to respond to that part of it.

[Nathalie Ferreira]

In fact, this would probably require several steps, as historically this would be something that would have to be approved by the Queen

since this is part of the history of the RCMP, being a British force under British authority.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Galipeau.

[Royal Galipeau, Conservative, Ottawa—Orléans, ON]

You are very kind to let me have the floor. My MP would like to talk to you now.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Mr. Nadeau.

[Richard Nadeau, Bloc, Gatineau, QC]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

To continue along the same lines as Mr. Galipeau, I would just like to draw your attention to the motto: “Maintiens le droit”. It is written in French, isn't it? The council in London decided that it should be kept in French. I guess that adding “Gendarmerie royale du Canada”—which, by the way, is shorter than writing “mounted police” in English—would not be such a bad thing. It is a matter of identity.

Mr. Cogan, I would like to point something out. Today, we have been really buttered up. You belong to a type of threesome where you are the fourth wheel not the fifth. As you know, Franco-Ontarians—and I am one of them—have three kinds of slices of bread with a thick layer of jam on. In Hawkesbury, they say: “Ah, que c'est beurré”. In Sudbury, it's “Ça de beurré” and in Haileybury, it's “Elle est beurrée”. RCMP sounds a bit like Hawkesbury, Sudbury, Haileybury. I'd just like to throw that in. I am sure there will be a play at the Théâtre de la Vieille 17 on this.

You said earlier—and that reflects what I am saying: this is a work in progress. It has been 40 years since the act was passed. This is a work in progress! For goodness' sake, it has been a rather long gestation period. I am not sure that we'll get a nice little buffalo out of this, like the one on... In my view, it will be a dragon or a monster instead.

Based on what you are saying, the RCMP respecting the official languages, it's an ongoing struggle. So join the U.S. Coast Guard if you must, but give the RCMP a chance. Use all the necessary tools so that services will actually be in both French and English.

Let's suppose I am being stopped and questioned by an RCMP member—and he has every right to do so—on a highway somewhere in Canada, and that I ask him to talk to me in French. What will happen then? Will he leave me by the side of the road until I freeze or will he go look for someone, somewhere, to provide me with services in French?

When I hear what I am hearing today... There is only one translator for British Columbia, when there are actually a lot of francophones in a minority situation. And not all those francophones are in Vancouver or Victoria. You, Mr. Richer and Mr. Dubeau, are francophones yourselves. Ms. Ferreira and Mr. Cogan also speak French very well. Try this with your colleagues on a Sunday morning, hiding your stuff; try to get services in French. Send people from your staff or third parties. Send Mr. Galipeau if you want; I could also volunteer for this. How will we be received if we ask for services in French?

We are in a situation where people who work in communications—I am thinking specifically of Mr. Shields—say that the French fact scares them to such an extent that, in their opinion, Google Translate will automatically do the trick. Why should we put money in that?

I asked you earlier whether Mr. Shields was still working in the communications department and you said “yes”. We have a serious problem...a communication problem! If the French fact scares him, that means that he is simply not in the right place.

Mr. Dubeau, as a co-champion of official languages and you, Ms. Ferreira, as the director, what does that say to you? Is this a big joke? Were you painted into a corner and were you told to have as much fun as possible because, at the RCMP, it is not important anyway? That's the feeling I'm getting. This morning, we talked about Justin Bell, who was handcuffed because he asked for services in French at the RCMP—services in French! And he was handcuffed.

I feel like him today. I know that, if I went to British Columbia, I would probably end up in handcuffs because I know that, in British Columbia, no one gives a darn anymore about making sure that the RCMP communicates coherently in French and English with anyone entitled to it…

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you, Mr. Nadeau.

[Richard Nadeau, Bloc, Gatineau, QC]

This situation is disgusting.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Well, Mr. Nadeau, your five minutes are up.

[Richard Nadeau, Bloc, Gatineau, QC]

Thank you very much.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

There are no other members who indicated whether… We could finish the session by going around the table a fourth time, if that's what the committee members want.

There would be Mr. Bélanger and Mr. Nadeau.

[Richard Nadeau, Bloc, Gatineau, QC]

It's okay with me.

[Chair]

Okay?

[A/Commr Daniel Dubeau]

Mr. Nadeau asked a few questions. Can we answer them?