Official Languages Committee on Feb. 17th, 2011

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

Can I assume that if this review had not been made by the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages, you would have not changed your habits?

[Diane Jacovella]

I do not agree with you. I am the official languages champion and our committee had implemented a variety of ideas. In fact, this idea was put in place before the review.

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

How long have you been the official languages champion?

[Diane Jacovella]

I have been the champion for approximately a year, a year and a half.

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

It took a little wake-up call from the commissioner to get things moving.

[Diane Jacovella]

No, people could speak the language of their choice. That was already done. Documents at meetings are always distributed in both official languages.

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

Why wasn't there a plan prior to 2010?

[Diane Jacovella]

There was a plan prior to 2010. In fact, we had two plans. We had one plan for section 41, because there was a coordinator who dealt specifically with that section, and another plan for the language of work.

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

Would you be so kind as to send us a copy of your plans?

[Diane Jacovella]

Yes, we can send you our former plans.

Following the report card, we prepared plans focused on five strategic issues. We have also adopted measures to track progress. Now, we always take that into account instead of preparing an annual report.

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

Madam Biggs, can you tell me if your mandate letter contains references to the official languages of Canada?

[Margaret Biggs]

I believe it does. All deputy ministers are given strategic objectives and requirements from the clerk each year, particularly around public service renewal and on official languages.

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

Are you at liberty to tell me what those objectives might be, vis-à-vis official languages and CIDA?

[Margaret Biggs]

It is across the public service, and we have in turn taken those requirements and those directions and obligations and embedded them in each executive's performance agreement. There's an obligation for all executives to be honouring their official languages obligations and promoting official languages in the workplace, so that cascades down from the clerk to the deputy—

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

I understand that, but I thought that there might be a specificity in each mandate letter that deputies get. Am I wrong in thinking that?

[Margaret Biggs]

We're not given specific mandate letters right now, but we are given directions on the key objectives that the clerk would like all deputy heads to carry each year, and those include official languages.

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

Do you report to the clerk on official languages every year as well?

[Margaret Biggs]

Yes, we do.

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

Are you at liberty to share those reports?

[Margaret Biggs]

I believe so.

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

If we could get those, that might be very interesting.

[Margaret Biggs]

Yes.

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

Finally,

I believe that senior managers at CIDA who are not unionized are entitled to bonuses.

[Diane Jacovella]

Yes.

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

Did they receive bonuses last year? Is there a difference between the bonuses received following the evaluation by the Commissioner of Official Languages and last year's bonuses?