Official Languages Committee on Feb. 9th, 2011

[Marie Coderre]

Yes, that's life!

We are organizing a youth film festival in partnership with the Montreal International Children's Film Festival. We received money from the SAIC, which still had some left over. We submitted the application in November. I called them this week to say that we are getting the project underway and would like to know whether it had been accepted or not. They told me it had been approved by the committee, that it was now on the Minister's desk, but that they could not confirm it 100%.

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

Who are you talking about?

[Marie Coderre]

The SAIC.

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

The SAIC.

[Marie Coderre]

I will probably be receiving a cheque on March 31. The event will already be over and I will have incurred certain expenses. I find that absolutely unbelievable.

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

I want to come back to April. We are now in the month of February. When you talked to them last week, did they say that they need more time, that they have to wait until April or that you don't meet the criteria? Did they give any reasons to justify this delay?

[Marie Coderre]

No, they simply said there were very pleased to have received my application.

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

Well, that's just great!

[Marie Coderre]

The main problem is medium-term planning. I'm not even thinking about the long-term; even planning in the medium term is impossible. For the time being, I don't even know whether I'm going to be able to re-hire my colleague on April 1. If all my projects are accepted at the same time, I'm going to have my back against the wall. That is my main concern.

As regards the federal applications, there is one other factor that I find rather amusing. We are asked to submit biennial applications. That's fine; I did that. However, for programming applications, they ask us to increase costs by 10% in the second year. However, the amount always stay the same. For the last five or six years, we have been receiving $73,500. I don't understand why we should still be receiving $73,500 in 2012-2013, if we increase our expenses by 10% and it's always 10%, then another 10%, and so on.

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

Thank you very much.

Ms. Montreuil, I know that Mr. Bélanger already talked about court challenges. I want to go one step further.

In terms of money, what percentage have you received for this case through the Court Challenges Program? You said it is costing you a fortune. If you are receiving money under the Court Challenges Program, it should not be costing you a fortune. However, you did make the comment that this is costing you a lot of money even though you receive money under that program.

Can you tell me approximately what percentage of the money you received under the Court Challenges Program?

[Suzette Montreuil]

I would just like to clarify that there are two court cases. The first began through the APADY. At the beginning, there was money under the former Court Challenges Program.

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

You're talking about the old program.

[Suzette Montreuil]

After that, approximately two years ago, the school board agreed to pay the rest of the costs associated with that court case. At the time, the Court Challenges Program no longer existed.

We submitted an application to the Language Rights Support Program, or LRSP, and received $125,200. That even exceeded the maximum, because they recognized that, in terms of admission rights, it really was the new legislation that was in effect. That program is different. It is aimed more at negotiations, but because we were referring a new issue to the court, we did receive financial assistance.

As for the other case, it is specifically the school board fighting the government with respect with the school in Hay River.

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

I understand, but what percentage of the money did you receive from the program?

[Suzette Montreuil]

Ten per cent.

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

You only received 10%. So that's why it costing you a fortune.

[Suzette Montreuil]

Yes, exactly.

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

In the previous case, under the former Court Challenges Program, what was the percentage? Do you know?

[Suzette Montreuil]

It was managed by the APADY. I don't know the figure.

Do you know?

[Philippe Brûlot]

No. I couldn't say.

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

All right. We will find that out.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you very much, Mr. Godin.

We are going to complete the first round with Mr. Galipeau.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I would like to thank all of you for coming to meet with us today.

I would like to know how many students in the Northwest Territories are considered to be rights holders?

[Suzette Montreuil]

It depends on your interpretation. Do you mean strictly based on the definition of rights holders under section 23?

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

Yes.