Official Languages Committee on March 1st, 2011

[Sylvie Boucher, Conservative, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

Unlike our generation, which learned English on the job, our children are open to the world, with the Internet and all that. They're increasingly bilingual.

You aren't the only department that's experiencing this kind of thing. We've talked about this with all the departments and it seems to pose a problem. In Quebec, the minority is anglophone, unlike in other places, where it's francophone. We can find a lot of anglophones in certain areas, such as Sherbrooke. There's also an anglophone community in the Gaspé Peninsula. There are nevertheless a few places. It's the current assessment of the situation that I wanted to know.

You also talked about active offer and the people who respond to requests. Do you have any employees who are resistant to the idea of speaking the other language? For example, if I speak to Quebec employees in English, will they be reluctant to speak English with me? Similarly, will employees in another region be reluctant to speak French me if I ask to be served in French?

[Claire Dansereau]

Thank you for the question. No, I don't think they're resistant. I believe they're a bit afraid. These are human beings all the same. If they don't often practise the other official language, they're a bit embarrassed. It would mainly be that. In addition, when you're so used to speaking one language all day, sometimes you forget. Sometimes it's forgetfulness, at others it's embarrassment, or all kinds of other problems. It's up to us, the managers, to always monitor that.

Official language learning doesn't just mean learning the language. The idea is also to grasp the importance of speaking both languages, to grasp the extent to which this is important for Canada. We have to ensure this is a fundamental part of our values, of our ethics. We have to be proud to offer that.

In short, I wouldn't say that our employees are opposed to the idea, but it's more that they're embarrassed

[Sylvie Boucher, Conservative, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

I have another question. Do you have resources, in training or immersion, for example, to support the people in your department who want to learn the other language? Do you have those kinds of frameworks for present and future employees?

[Claire Dansereau]

I wouldn't say there are any for future employees, but there are for those who are already on the job, absolutely. As I was saying, this is a fundamental part of our way of working. When I travel across Canada, I work in both languages with everyone. We're proud of that effort. We also have learning plans for 100% of our employees. So we always have manager-employee discussions to determine whether an official language learning plan is necessary. That's always a fundamental part of that discussion on learning.

We offer a support service. When we have employees who are developing in the other official language, they are even entitled to come to a meeting with another employee so that person can help them. It's a kind of mentoring, a kind of official instruction, a kind of philosophical and cultural support. So it's everywhere.

[The Vice-Chair, NDP, Yvon Godin]

Thank you.

Mr. Bélanger, go ahead, please.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I apologize for being late, Ms. Dansereau, but it was strategic: I didn't want to chair the meeting, but rather to be able to ask you questions. Thank you for being here.

The purpose of my first question is to determine whether the evaluation done by the commissioner applies as well and entirely to the coast guard.

[Claire Dansereau]

Yes.

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

I'm asking you the question because the coast guard used to report to another department, if I'm not mistaken.

[Claire Dansereau]

The coast guard used to report to the Department of Transport, but it has reported to us since 1995.

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

So it's integrated and the evaluation is for both.

[Claire Dansereau]

The coast guard is a special agency for budget protection reasons, let's say, but apart from that it is an integral part of everything we do at the department.

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

All right.

I especially want to try to understand what makes it so that things seem to be going well at the department. If you'll pardon my indiscretion, I would like to know how long you have been deputy minister at the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, madam.

[Claire Dansereau]

Thank you, sir. It will be two years tomorrow, and I admit that the good ratings are really attributable to the good work that my predecessors did. I accept that absolutely. My responsibility is to ensure, based on what they have done, that we do not lose our position and to improve the situation where they did not have time to do so. I don't take the—

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

All right. Happy anniversary!

[Claire Dansereau]

Thank you.

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

Is the fact that the champion and the two individuals accompanying you, who are responsible for official languages, occupy assistant deputy minister positions part of a strategic decision on your part? Was that already the case? How does that compare to what's being done elsewhere?

Please answer quickly because I have a whole series of questions to ask.

[Claire Dansereau]

All right.

I don't know. That's important and necessary for me. We have champions in other sectors of human resources and they have to report to the management committee to tell us what kind of work they've done. We also have coordinators for official language issues in the regions. We have this kind of approach everywhere. Was it that way before I arrived? I think so, but it's definitely something that I'm going to continue.

Mitch has been at the department for a little more than one year, but he was appointed partly because this is a passion for him, but also because we need a champion.

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

Mr. Bloom, what percentage of your time to you devote to official languages?

[Mitch Bloom]

I normally devote perhaps three days a month to it, but there are times, such as when we're preparing the action plan, when it's necessary to push the file.

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

You spend roughly three days a month on it.

[Mitch Bloom]

Yes.

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

So you devote three out of 20 days to it, unless you're working seven days a week.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[Mitch Bloom]

That's true, but I wasn't counting the weekends.

And you, Ms. Huard?

[Michaela Huard]

It's very hard to answer that question. I spend perhaps 10% of my time on official languages. Since it's included in all the work, it's very difficult to determine the exact percentage.