Evidence of meeting #38 for Official Languages in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was bilingual.
A recording is available from Parliament.
9:20 a.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Operations, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
I did not say there were no francophones, although I cannot say for sure that there are. I said the region was not designated as bilingual.
9:20 a.m.
NDP
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
I would like you to tell us whether there are any francophones at the Charlottetown office and, if so, whether they are qualified to serve clients.
9:20 a.m.
NDP
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
As for the telephone lines, what is the proportion of English-language to French-language lines? I hear the same thing about Air Canada and Aeroplan. They provide service in both languages, but you can spend a whole weekend on the line waiting for a francophone to talk to you at Aeroplan. The lines are always busy. It is funny that when you call the same number and choose service in English, you get a faster response, whether it is Thursday, Friday or Sunday.
Have you done a study to find out how long a francophone can wait on the line? I am not saying the message is not the same in the end. There could be 200 English-language lines and 10 French-language lines, and the French-language lines would be busy much more quickly. Can you tell us the ratio of the two types of lines?
9:20 a.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Operations, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
All our lines are bilingual. Clients do not call into a place where there are 25 English-language and 20 French-language lines, for example. People are assigned to a workstation, and the first person who can answer the telephone does so and provides bilingual service. The call could be in French or English.
We are trying to explain that we do not understand the commissioner's methodology. A person got an answer not because he was francophone or anglophone. It may just be because too many lines were busy. Our system does not allow us to have more than a certain percentage of calls waiting.
9:20 a.m.
NDP
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
Maybe the problem occurs when the bilingual employee has to determine how to serve the client. Maybe it is when the employee transfers a client who speaks only French to a French-language service. You do not have any bilingual employees who provide full service, do you? Is service bilingual from the time the phone rings?
9:20 a.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Operations, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
When the phone first rings, the automated system answers. The person then waits for someone to answer. All the agents who answer calls are bilingual. All calls are taken. If I am the next person in line, even if I want to speak French, my call will be taken next. If the deputy minister is the next person, even if he wants service in English, he will come next, and I will come after.
9:20 a.m.
NDP
9:20 a.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Operations, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
All agents at the call centre are bilingual.
9:20 a.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Operations, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
Yes.
9:20 a.m.
NDP
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
Did the commissioner explain his methodology to you? The francophone client was put—
9:20 a.m.
NDP
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
The individual is put on hold, or he or she must call back later.
9:20 a.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Operations, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
He explained his methodology, but we want to follow up with him. The system does not allow—
9:20 a.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Operations, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
He calls. If he is put on hold for five minutes, he hangs up and calls back five minutes later. But there may be fewer people waiting in the queue five minutes later. He therefore—
9:20 a.m.
NDP
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
Where did he get his methodology for distinguishing between French-speaking and English-speaking lines?
9:20 a.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Operations, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
He can call today and pretend to be francophone one moment and call back five minutes later as an anglophone.
9:20 a.m.
NDP
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
I can tell you, I called Aeroplan and I did not pretend. I know there is a difference between the two, I can guarantee that.
