Evidence of meeting #8 for Official Languages in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was bilingual.
A recording is available from Parliament.
10:50 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Steven Blaney
Thank you very much Mrs. Boucher.
Mr. Bélanger, I believe you have a request you would like to put to the committee members.
10:50 a.m.
Liberal
Mauril Bélanger Liberal Ottawa—Vanier, ON
Yes, Mr. Chair.
This concerns a request for documents on the part of our researchers. Yesterday, in the La Presse newspaper, there was an article on expenditures for language training in the public service, and this article was also printed in the Le Droit paper.
Mr. Chair, I think that the article does not compare apples to apples and oranges to oranges. Perhaps we should get some more information. It was implied that from 2001 to 2009 there was a huge increase in training expenditures. The article stated that at one point in time, the School of Public Service stopped offering free courses. The courses the school was providing were not free. Someone was paying for them.
Could we ask our researchers to pull up the annual budgets for language training by the School of Public Service for the years preceding the moment when departments were no longer obliged to use the school for training? We might get a fairer, more balanced picture of the situation.
10:50 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Steven Blaney
So Mr. Bélanger, you want us to check that in reference to the article on the cost of language training for employees of the public service.
Are you making this request as an individual, or on behalf of all members?
10:50 a.m.
Liberal
Mauril Bélanger Liberal Ottawa—Vanier, ON
If I had wanted to make this request as an individual, I would have done so more discreetly. I did it in front of everybody because I think this is some information that we all should have.
10:50 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Steven Blaney
Do I have the consent of all the members for this request? Yes. Is that all right with you, madam?
10:50 a.m.
A voice
I have no problem with that.
10:50 a.m.
Liberal
Lise Zarac Liberal LaSalle—Émard, QC
With your permission, Mr. Chair, could we ask the people from Air Canada to provide us with information on total bilingual capacity, but in relation to each province?
10:50 a.m.
General Manager , Languages and Diversity, Employee Relations, Air Canada
Certainly.
10:50 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Steven Blaney
I would like to thank our witnesses. Once again, I would like to specify that they appeared within the timetable that we had suggested to them, and it is greatly appreciated as concerns the unfolding of the agenda.
Thank you very much.
Thank you also to the members.
The meeting is adjourned.
