Official Languages Committee on Feb. 17th, 2011

[Darren Schemmer]

We are going to do it this year.

I am sorry, are you talking about the past?

[Claude Gravelle, NDP, Nickel Belt, ON]

Yes.

[Darren Schemmer]

I think that because our mandate is more international, we focused more on that side and on the offer to all Canadians throughout the country.

As the commissioner's report indicated, we need to make a more concerted effort to contact these minority communities. We intend to do that through our action plan.

[Claude Gravelle, NDP, Nickel Belt, ON]

As you recall, what were the most recent topics relating to official languages that you discussed at the deputy ministerial committees you sit on?

[Margaret Biggs]

We had a very interesting meeting with Graham Fraser at the clerk's deputy ministers' weekly meeting. The issue of official languages was also discussed at the public service advisory committee and the Public Service Commission advisory committee. It is something that's also taken up in the public service renewal deputy ministers committee. The issue of official languages is discussed around a number of deputy minsters' tables.

[Claude Gravelle, NDP, Nickel Belt, ON]

Can you send the committee the minutes of the deputy ministerial committees that you sit on where you discussed official languages?

[Margaret Biggs]

Do you mean their minutes?

[Claude Gravelle, NDP, Nickel Belt, ON]

Yes.

[Margaret Biggs]

I'm not sure, actually; I don't know that there are minutes. There are certainly not minutes taken at deputy ministers' breakfasts. Are you asking whether they are reported out in both official languages?

[Claude Gravelle, NDP, Nickel Belt, ON]

I'm asking you whether you can supply us with the minutes from the meetings.

[Margaret Biggs]

I'm not sure, sir. I will check into that. There often aren't minutes taken for these meetings. The documents that are presented, if they are open documents, can be supplied.

We don't actually have those minutes circulated in either language, I don't think, but I can check.

[Claude Gravelle, NDP, Nickel Belt, ON]

How is the issue of official languages coordinated at the deputy ministers' meetings?

[Margaret Biggs]

The issue of official languages would be taken up at the deputy ministers committee, particularly in the public service management advisory committee, and it would be discussed on an ongoing basis there. The discussion would include the report from the Commissioner of Official Languages. That is the primary place in which it would be discussed.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you very much, Mr. Gravelle.

That completes the second round and the first part of our meeting.

I want to thank our witnesses for coming today.

We are going to suspend the meeting for a few moments to enable the next group to appear.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

We will resume our work. We have another group of witnesses.

Beforehand, while our witnesses are taking their seats, we could perhaps deal with a motion from Mr. Bélanger who wants to add additional witnesses from Service Canada. You all recall that people from Passport Canada appeared as witnesses. Mr. Bélanger, do you want to say a few words?

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Mr. Chairman, we learned from the clerk that there were perhaps some openings in March. Service Canada would fit in very nicely with the type of exercise we are currently completing as a result of the report by the Commissioner of Official Languages. The commissioner prepared a specific report on Service Canada. We could easily integrate them into what we are currently doing by calling in the deputy minister and the champion.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Mr. Gourde, you have the floor.

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, QC]

My colleague's request is a reasonable one. I will be supporting is motion.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Good.

Do I have the unanimous consent of committee members? That being the case, our clerk will take the necessary steps. Thank you very much.

I want to remind you that after the break, we will have a meeting planned to discuss committee business.

But before that, we have the pleasure this morning of hearing from the Deputy Minister of Natural Resources, Mr. Serge Dupont. He is accompanied by his Champion of Official Languages, Mr. Anil Arora, who is also Assistant Deputy Minister, Minerals and Metals Sector, and, from the Corporate Management and Services Sector, Monique Paquin, Director General.

Mr. Dupont, welcome to the committee. I invite you to make your opening remarks.

[Serge Dupont, Deputy Minister, Department of Natural Resources]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.

Good morning everyone. I am, of course, here today to discuss Natural Resources Canada's commitment to official languages, more specifically in the context of the Commissioner of Official Languages' recent annual report. As you know, the commissioner's report identified areas for significant improvement on Natural Resources Canada's performance and gave the department a weak overall grade. You have already introduced my colleagues, so I will not do so again.

This is the first time the department has been part of the commissioner's review. And I believe the commissioner himself noted that the first time the exercise is done it could be quite painful. We take this assessment very seriously and recognize that, along with efforts already underway, we need to take swift and concrete action to better fulfil our obligations under the Official Languages Act.

Mr. Chairman, I have made this a management priority since assuming the position of deputy minister last October. Immediately following the release of Mr. Fraser's report, I sent a message to all staff to inform them about the results and to make it clear that improving our performance on official languages would be a priority for management within the department, including in the National Capital Region and in our regional offices across this country.

As well, we accelerated a process to develop our three-year department-wide action plan on official languages. I should add that our Minister, the Honourable Christian Paradis, is engaged with this issue. He has corresponded with me to demand that the department take the steps necessary to honour its official language obligations.

The action plan, entitled "Beyond Obligations: Revitalizing Official Languages at NRC" which is before you now, was shared with employees across the department this week. As the title suggests, we intend to follow a course of action that will allow us to go beyond strict compliance with the act. We want to foster a departmental culture that, to echo the words of the commissioner, will fully, instinctively and proactively fulfil both the letter and spirit of our responsibilities under the act.

The commissioner recommended developing concrete activities for implementation in order for departments to achieve success. Our action plan does this. It identifies practical initiatives and results that Natural Resources Canada intends to achieve over the next three years.

Our approach vests accountability for official languages with all levels of the organization—sectors and branches from the line perspective, regional offices, managers, and employees—driven by the most senior levels within the organization: me, the associate deputy minister, and the assistant deputy ministers.

While we have significant work to do, Natural Resources Canada has already undertaken a number of positive steps. One example is our departmental language school, which facilitates the use of both official languages through classes and non-classroom activities and has received praise from the Commissioner of Official Languages in addition to an award from the Conference Board of Canada.

However, clearly we need to do more. While I know that NRCan received an overall “C” rating from the commissioner regarding part IV, the category of “service to the public”, there's no doubt that we need to improve our active offer of these services.

With this in mind, among other measures, the list of Natural Resources Canada offices offering bilingual services will be updated to ensure that they are properly equipped and have appropriate capacity. We will also conduct awareness sessions for managers and employees in service points and reception areas. Again, this is in keeping with the commissioner's virtuous circle model.

Concerning part V of the act, we want our employees to feel comfortable in working in either official language and we want them to have the abilities, tools, and support to do so. I realize from experience that this a challenge in the public service.

The action plan includes some practical tools for accomplishing this objective. For example, we will continue to conduct workshops to facilitate the holding of bilingual meetings. Proactive steps have also been taken to ensure that employees have set up their computers, BlackBerrys, and other work tools in the official language of their choice.

These are obviously available. What we're doing is ensuring proactively that employees are aware that these tools are indeed available in both official languages, and at different intervals we go back to them and remind them of that availability. Indeed, we did so in January, and 382 employees came forward to convert their computers or BlackBerrys to a French interface, having basically been working with the English interface before that.

In terms of evaluation, we incorporated language-of-work questions in our 2010 Natural Resources Canada employee survey. There was not a public service-wide survey this year; we did our own, adding specific questions on official languages so as to be able to track our progress there. We asked basically the same five questions that had been asked in the public service employee survey of 2008.

We have taken note of our initial findings, which show no significant improvement in the area of language of work; nonetheless, these results provide us with a useful benchmark as we move forward.

With regard to part VII of the act, while we have made some limited strides in this area, we acknowledge that there needs to be proactive engagement in building relationships with Official Languages communities. Part VII represents a unique challenge, as this is an area of the law where obligations for departments, as the commissioner himself has pointed out, have yet to be clearly defined.

Nevertheless, two of the immediate priorities identified in the action plan are to gain a better understanding of the department's obligations under part VII and to put concrete measures in place to meet them. We are earnestly working on a methodology to assess the particular contribution Natural Resources Canada can make to the development of official language minority communities. To further guide our work in this area, we have hired Donald Savoie from the University of Moncton, a recognized expert in the area of official language minority communities. Moreover, I have asked that steps be taken immediately to move in this direction.

I have asked that our offices in Canada invite, among others, school boards and official language minority community groups to visit our labs and see our research work. This is a proactive offer and enables us at the same time to promote science and technology among young people, which beyond the question of official languages, is also a priority for Natural Resources Canada.

In addition, I personally met with Mr. Fraser on December 16 to discuss his report and part VII specifically to obtain his advice on the steps to take. Our action plan calls for a monitoring plan that will enable the department to regularly and comprehensively measure the results of the initiatives that we will be bringing forward.

Lastly, I simply want to add that I am very sensitive to the issue of leadership, a point underscored by the Commissioner of Official Languages. I believe that these are in fact areas where leadership counts. I intend to make this issue a specific priority and, of course, to set the example. My new associate deputy minister, who was appointed last week and who was also champion at the Canada Revenue Agency, will be able to support me in this endeavour. I also have a team as well as a champion, and they will be able to help me improve Natural Resources Canada's profile and performance on official languages.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I would be pleased to answer any questions committee members may have.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you very much, Mr. Dupont. On our side, we apologize for the delay in starting this meeting.

We will now go to Mr. Murphy.

[Brian Murphy, Liberal, Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, NB]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And thank you to the witnesses for being here today.

This action plan is dated 2011, but when, more specifically?

[Serge Dupont]

You want to know the date it was published? It was distributed to employees this week.

[Brian Murphy, Liberal, Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, NB]

What was the date it was made public?

[Serge Dupont]

It was distributed yesterday to all employees at the department.