Official Languages Committee on Dec. 7th, 2010

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

There are 7 million people in Quebec.

[William Victor Baker]

We have a very small regional presence in Quebec. That's the nature of Public Safety Canada. We aren't an operating agency. We just have two small offices that... They essentially have a liaison function, to communicate with the province and the people who work in the emergency management field.

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

You began preparing your plan in January 2010.

[William Victor Baker]

Yes, we started work and we approved it in June.

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

Has the Clerk of the Privy Council given you any instructions in recent years?

[William Victor Baker]

Not on—

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

—official languages.

[William Victor Baker]

The topic of official languages comes up in the committees of deputy ministers from time to time.

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

You're talking to me about deputy ministers. However, has the Clerk of the Privy Council sent your department any directives on official languages?

[William Victor Baker]

Perhaps, but I don't have them in front of me. We occasionally receive—

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

Could you send that to the committee?

[William Victor Baker]

If there is something, yes.

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

If there is something, can you send it to the committee, please?

[William Victor Baker]

Yes.

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

Earlier reference was made to 331 bilingual positions. We hope that, here in Ottawa, you don't have the same problem as the representatives of the other border agency that testified before you. They said it was only 5% in Windsor.

You don't have that problem here. Do you have a recruitment problem?

[William Victor Baker]

No, not at all.

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

You don't have one.

[Denis Desharnais]

If I may clarify the matter, Mr. Godin, the 331 positions are supervisory positions. They are bilingual. Those supervisors have bilingual teams.

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

Are all the supervisors bilingual?

[Denis Desharnais]

The majority meet the requirements of their position.

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

We're talking about BBB profiles.

[Denis Desharnais]

No, our new standards are CBC for EX minus 1-level positions.

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

When did you put that in place?

[Denis Desharnais]

That's part of our action plan.

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

That's since January 2010. You've changed the profile from BBB to—