Official Languages Committee on March 23rd, 2010

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

Right.

Now let us talk about issues that are important for you. With respect to grants and contributions, you apply for money in June...

Do you remember when we were talking about the red tape? How is it going now? Last year, we promised that it would go better. So I'd like to hear from you on that, because I think it's important.

[Robert Donnelly]

We saw your report with the many recommendations from this committee relative to that. We are still in the process now, but yes, things seemingly did improve in the months after we made the presentation here and in the months during which this committee made its report. In his comments, the minister has promised that this is something that will be very much improved in terms of next year's funding. When we're talking about advance funding, normally that comes through in early April.

[Sylvia Martin-Laforge]

I can tell you that the president of our organization was in Florida when there was an important meeting a couple of weeks ago administratively, and I have to congratulate the people who took this to heart and put together some standards. So I have a lot of faith that something will be happening in April of this year, rather than June.

I'm sorry, Bob; I didn't want to cut you off.

We were encouraged by the work of the committee, of the minister, and of the bureaucrats, and we do believe there will be a big difference this year.

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

Okay, that means the committee has done its job by bringing it into the open and pushing it.

[Sylvia Martin-Laforge]

We think everybody did their job by taking this seriously, and I have to say that we're hopeful.

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

Good.

In terms of the incentive and that the incentive is kind of a contradiction, because if you don't have a job, you will not go, I think we have the same problem all across the country, where we have people leaving the rural areas, going to the big cities, and they don't want to come back. It's a fact of life. But what you are saying, if I understand correctly, is that with an incentive it will bring the people back into the community; it will grow the community in your language, in your culture, and it won't disappear if you have your youth coming back.

Is that what you are actually saying?

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you--

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

Well, she should say yes or no. Give her the chance.

[Nicola Johnston]

I think you're right. I think the issue of out-migration is one that is Canada-wide. But I think the issue in Quebec is twofold: there is the rural-urban divide, and there are also some linguistic barriers that are impediments. We have an asset, as bilingual speakers, out of the province. I think the incentive will help bring people back. If there is any kind of hesitation--people are not sure that they want to go back, because they don't know that there will be employment--it's a good incentive. I think it will help minimize any risk people are afraid of.

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

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Yes, thank you. Thank you, Mr. Godin.

Thank you to our witnesses this morning for bringing experience and youth to this committee.

Mr. Donnelly, I hope we'll have a chance to see you before you resume your mandate. You remind me that it is my privilege and also my duty to make sure that we provide equal voice and equitable consideration to the preoccupation of your committee on this committee.

[Robert Donnelly]

Thank you, Mr. Blaney. I just wanted to tell you that my mandate as president of the QCGN will end in mid-June with our AGM and new elections. I wanted to say what a pleasure it has been over the last three years to come here.

Last but not least important, I think if we had, as our community groups in Quebec, across Ottawa half the support we've been getting from this committee, we would be a very, very happy organization. So thank you not only for receiving us but for working with us and helping us reach our goals.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you, as well, on behalf of the members.

We'll just suspend for a few minutes, and then we'll resume our work. Merci.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

We will now continue our meeting.

Pursuant to Standing Order 108, on the study of the official languages policies and programs in the main estimates 2010-2011 of the Department of Canadian Heritage, it is our pleasure this morning to welcome the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, the honourable James Moore. He will introduce the witnesses accompanying him, Deputy Minister Ms. LaRocque—welcome again to the Standing Committee on Official Languages—and Mr. Sobrino, the Assistant Deputy Minister for Strategic Policy, Planning and Corporate Affairs. Welcome.

Without further delay, Mr. Minister, I now invite you to make your opening statement.

Thank you.

[James Moore, Conservative, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Ladies and gentlemen, members of the Standing Committee, it is a pleasure for me to be here today. With me are Judith LaRocque, Deputy Minister of Canadian Heritage, and Pablo Sobrino, Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic Policy, Planning and Corporate Affairs, Canadian Heritage.

First of all, I would like to greet the new members of the committee: Mr. Bélanger, Mr. Généreux, who will be arriving shortly, and John Weston. I would also like to thank the committee for inviting me here today to give an update on the official languages file.

The timing could not be better: we are in the middle of the Rendez-vous de la francophonie, a wonderful opportunity for dialogue and celebration that we are proud to support, and that brings together Canadians from every part of the country. Today, I would like to reiterate our government's priorities regarding official languages, present an update on the implementation of the Roadmap for Canada's Linguistic Duality, and discuss our government's on-going support for community organizations across Canada.

But first, I would like to say a few words about the Olympic Winter Games that recently ended and the Paralympic Games that ended on Sunday.

The role of the French language and culture in the context of the Games has been a priority for our government from day one. I am proud to say that the Government of Canada made record levels of investment to ensure that both of our country's official languages were incorporated into all aspects of the Games.

This included the Cultural Olympiad, featuring approximately 650 live performances, over one-third of which were by francophone artists. The Olympic and Paralympic torch relays, all 15 Olympic venues, and every single Olympic site--all fully bilingual, servicing Canadians and visitors in the official language of their choice.

The Olympic and Paralympic games are truly Canada's games, exceeding the standards of the International Olympic Committee and, more importantly, showcasing the best of what our country has to offer in both official languages. This feeling was echoed by senior officials at the games. The Commissioner of Official Languages, for instance, said that he was “impressed by the level of bilingualism at the Olympic Games” and “pleased by the presence of French at the closing ceremony”.

Pascal Couchepin, Grand Témoin de la Francophonie at the Games, said—and I quote—"The Vancouver Olympic Games have been very successfully executed. They are the Games to follow in the matter of linguistic duality. It is difficult to do better".

Finally, Jacques Rogge, president of the International Olympic Committee, said that he was “very pleased” with the success of official languages at the games. “The announcements were made in French and English, [and all Olympic venues and signs] are bilingual,” he added.

Mr. Chair, well over 3 billion people from around the world turned their gaze to Canada during the Olympic Games, and I'm pleased to have been part of such an incredible moment in Canada's history.

Canadians who did not have the chance to go to Vancouver and Whistler were able to follow the competitions at home in the official language of their choice, thanks to the broadcasting agreement between CTVglobemedia and its partners. I am delighted that CTV and CPAC collaborated to present French-language coverage of the Games on their stations, as well as RDS and V. The Place de la francophonie greeted thousands of visitors and showed the people of Vancouver and the world the quality of our francophone artists and the vitality of our communities.

In addition, the young journalists who took part in Franco Médias 2010—a project we supported—offered all Canadians a francophone perspective of the Games. The community of Maillardville, the cradle of the francophonie in British Columbia, made great strides in the last year in strengthening its cultural presence within my home province. Maillardville did us proud, not only during the Games, but also during the celebrations of the town's centenary and the Festival du Bois, an event we are proud to support. I am proud of this community, which adds extra colour to my home province, and of the Games, which inspired enthusiasm in Canadians across the country.

Regarding the opening ceremonies, we believe they were a major performance of great quality. David Atkins and his partners did an excellent job, and I truly believe that everyone enjoyed them. I was disappointed by the level of French during the ceremonies. However, we are pleased with VANOC's work, and we can all be proud that the Vancouver Olympic Games set a new standard for bilingualism on the international scene. The promotion of our two official languages and the support for official language minority communities have been, and will continue to be, priorities for our government.

The Speech from the Throne leaves no doubt that bilingualism is one of the fundamental values of Canadian society. Our road map for Canada's linguistic duality allows us to make this vision a reality. Currently more than 70% of the road map commitments announced in June 2008 have been confirmed and funded.

Also, in the budget our government maintained our record level of funding for CBC/Radio-Canada. This will allow them to continue performing the important work they do in minority language communities across the country.

My provincial and territorial counterparts play a key role in achieving our objectives. I will be meeting with them at the upcoming Ministerial Conference on the Canadian Francophonie in Yellowknife on June 22 and 23. These sessions give us a chance to work together to support the Canadian Francophonie. Indeed, it was at the last conference—in September 2009 in Vancouver—that we agreed to dedicate one day of the 2010 Winter Games to the francophonie.

The Language Rights Support Program was also announced last year. As we marked the 40^th anniversary of the Official Languages Act, I reiterated our government's commitment to delivering a fully operational program by the end of 2009. I am pleased to say: we have delivered. The program—managed by the University of Ottawa—began its activities on December 22. Last fall, I also had the honour of chairing the Conference of Ministers Responsible for TV5 in Ottawa. In fact, it was during Canada's term as conference chair that we announced an additional contribution of $25 million over five years to TV5, starting in 2009-2010. This conference was a complete success and, thanks to this additional funding, TV5 can help increase the visibility of our creative sector and our artists around the world, while reflecting the cultural diversity of La Francophonie.

Last year was a very busy one. As you will recall, we also identified a need to revisit our ways of doing things to meet the requirements of organizations that represent official language communities in Canada.

Your committee reviewed the impact of delays in approving funding for organizations representing official language minority communities, and we met in October to discuss this issue. Our government will respond to the committee's recommendations by April 1, but I can tell you that the measures we are taking are producing results. Currently we have confirmed program funding for 88% of organizations representing official language minority communities, and we hope to confirm the rest by mid-April. The other recipient organizations should receive a reply in the next few weeks. As well, changes to service standards for the program delivery will be posted on our website on April 1. Our community partners can rest assured that we are continuing to take action to reduce red tape and streamline the process for their own benefit.

In closing, I'd like to share something that made an impression on me during the Olympic Games: the ease with which our athletes and medallists expressed themselves in both of Canada's official languages. I witnessed this many times and it made me incredibly proud. Our athletes acted as ambassadors on the world stage not only athletically but also diplomatically, and they did so in both of our official languages, representing Canadian culture with great pride.

Canadian athletes are the champions of today and the leaders of tomorrow, and I cannot help feeling that the future of our official languages looks extremely bright.

Thank you. I am ready to answer your questions.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you, Minister. It looks like you broke off just when I was recording the swiftness of your opening remarks.

We can get started with Mr. D'Amours.

[Jean-Claude D'Amours, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Minister, this is perhaps the only time that you will be applauded today. So I hope that you enjoyed it.

[James Moore, Conservative, Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC]

I did not realize. Was it you?

[Jean-Claude D'Amours, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

First of all, I would like to begin with two brief comments, Mr. Minister.

You said that official language community organizations had received a confirmation. Do not forget that the committee did not simply look into whether a confirmation had been received. We must also ensure that the money is there. Organizations, even if they have received confirmation, must find the money—the bridge money—to continue their activities. That means that they will have to get out their credit cards yet again, look for lines of credit from financial institutions and pay interest—that you do not want to reimburse. And they do not know exactly when the money will be available so that they can pay salaries. That is one comment. It is not enough to say that they have received an acknowledgement of receipt. More needs to be done.

Next, Mr. Minister, we have to proceed quickly this morning. We had asked for two hours of your company. We know that the trend for some time now has been to put a one-hour limit on appearances made by parliamentarians before committee meetings, including official languages meetings. I hope that this situation will be remedied in the future.

Now I would like to get to the heart of the matter. You referred to the Roadmap. Mr. Minister, what is the point of having a road map if you do not take the time to listen to the needs of organizations or communities? You will no doubt tell me that this has been done and that you will be doing this and that. I am asking you: what is the point of having a road map if you do not take the time to listen to what the people have to say?

I would like to give you the example of a meeting that we had last week with Mr. François Côté, of ARC du Canada. ARC du Canada asked to meet with you in order to pitch a new initiative for community radio. We are talking about an initiative that would cost, in total, $4.2 million. One of my colleagues here in the committee asked the following question: "Did you submit your request to the minister outlining your requirements?" The answer was: "Yes, to the Minister of Heritage, a year and a half ago. We submitted a request again, in November, because we had not received an answer. By way of a receipt, we have just been informed that we may get a meeting some time in the future."

Do you find that acceptable, minister? You talk about the Roadmap, but if you do not take the time to meet with organizations as big as ARC du Canada, which is there to ensure the survival of community radio, the voice of communities all across the country, how can you say that the Roadmap is progressing? Meanwhile, are you refusing to meet with such a major organization that represents so many communities from one end of the country to the other?

[James Moore, Conservative, Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC]

I was appointed Minister of State for Official Languages in 2008. The first thing I did at that time was to organize round tables across the country. I did not just meet with people who have the money to come here to Ottawa, but I also visited Prince Edward Island, Nanaimo in British Columbia, Edmonton, Regina, and so forth.

I toured the country to speak with the people who create these programs locally in their communities. Some are small organizations made up of two, three or four people. I visited them in their communities to find out what their experience had been with my department and with francophone communities.

[Jean-Claude D'Amours, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

Mr. Minister, community radio stations are organizations with two or three people; often, they do not have even one full-time employee. These people have been asking to meet with you since 2008. It is 2010 now, so that is a year and a half. I am not just referring to ARC du Canada here in Ottawa, but also to community radio stations across the country.

There are three of them in my riding. We could give you figures on the total number of radio stations across the country. I am not talking about a mega-organization, but about an organization that represents these small community radio stations that, in many cases, do not have even one full-time employee. A year and a half ago, these people asked to meet with you so that they could discuss their plans. But this meeting has not yet taken place. They have just received an acknowledgement of receipt of their second letter. It is simply unacceptable.

[James Moore, Conservative, Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC]

I have held meetings with a number of people. You can see my agenda; it is available on our website. And if it is that important to you and your key people, why is this the first time I am hearing about it?

[Jean-Claude D'Amours, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

Because we only heard about this letter that was sent to you a year and a half ago last Tuesday, Mr. Minister.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you very much, Mr. D'Amours.

[Jean-Claude D'Amours, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

If we have to, we will meet with you personally, and then we will see whether things happen more quickly, Mr. Minister.