Official Languages Committee on Feb. 17th, 2011

[Serge Dupont]

Since I have been in this position, these are the meetings to which I was alluding. However, I have no statistics to give you for the past few years.

[Claude Gravelle, NDP, Nickel Belt, ON]

How much time do I have left, Mr. Chair?

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

You have three minutes remaining, Mr. Gravelle.

[Claude Gravelle, NDP, Nickel Belt, ON]

Last year, approximately how many times did your assistant deputy minister send someone else in his stead to attend the meeting of the Assistant Deputy Minister Committee on Official Languages?

[Anil Arora, Assistant Deputy Minister and Champion of Official Languages, Minerals and Metals Sector, Department of Natural Resources]

I have no figures, but I could send them to you later.

[Claude Gravelle, NDP, Nickel Belt, ON]

You can provide that information to us.

[Anil Arora]

Yes, if the figures exist.

I have just been appointed to the champion position. I am therefore not certain about how many times the previous champion attended the meetings.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you, Mr. Gravelle.

We will continue with Mr. Généreux.

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you all for being here this morning.

Mr. Dupont, you stated earlier that you have just been appointed to your position. Was Ms. Paquin there before you? Were you a deputy minister before?

[Serge Dupont]

Ms. Paquin used to work in the Human Resources Branch.

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

You were already at the department, Ms. Paquin.

Mr. Arora, you said that you have not been the champion very long.

[Anil Arora]

I have just been appointed champion. I have been at Natural Resources Canada since March of last year.

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

So you have been there for nearly a year.

[Anil Arora]

That is right.

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

Mr. Dupont, earlier you referred to Mr. Paradis, your minister. How did the conversation go when you were asked to give priority to this issue?

[Serge Dupont]

In the days that followed the commissioner's report, he wrote me a letter stressing the importance that he was giving to this file. We then had a brief conversation. I assured him that I would be following up on the matter.

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

I would like to mention that the document that you submitted is very well done, very detailed. It contains a great deal of relevant information including the list of offices that you consider as being bilingual, as well as their locations.

You use an expression that I will try to find. Last week, we were in Yellowknife, and I see that there is an office there. You talk about the type of office, and you refer to identifiable restricted clienteles. What do you mean by "identifiable"?

[Serge Dupont]

I will defer to the expert who is accompanying me.

[Monique Paquin]

This pertains to the regulation definition designating bilingual offices. It determines whether or not an office is on the list of bilingual offices. The report identifies 16 offices.

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

When we were in Yellowknife last week, representatives from the francophone community told us that, generally speaking, it was not always easy to obtain services in French in their community and sector. Although the Natural Resources Canada office that is located there is not necessarily significant in terms of size, its relationship with people is important since this region of Canada has many natural resources. Francophones are in a minority situation there. This is a very unique location in Canada. Do you pay particular attention to it?

[Serge Dupont]

I would like to be able to say yes. We have 20 offices or locations in Canada where we must provide services in both languages, including Yellowknife.

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

Twenty offices out of how many?

[Serge Dupont]

Twenty out of 50. Services are provided in all of these offices, with the exception of Yellowknife and Corner Brook. We need to remedy the situation in Yellowknife. You have put your finger on one of the offices where we have a problem—

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

It was by chance.

[Serge Dupont]

—that needs to be resolved.