Official Languages Committee on Dec. 6th, 2011

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Thank you, Mr. Menegakis.

Monsieur Harris.

[Dan Harris, NDP, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

Thank you very much for being here today.

I would just like to say one thing about CBC and Radio-Canada. If that's how the government party shows its support, just imagine what it would do if it did not like CBC and Radio-Canada.

As far as women's issues go, we have seen a number of cutbacks since 2006. In fact, I noticed today that the letter “e” is missing on the other side's sign. So we too, in the committee, have some work ahead of us.

It's not a conspiracy; it is nothing to do with that.

We still have to buy some new signs.

I wanted to start with Mr. Racine. You said, in the beginning, that there were not enough community groups for seniors. You said there were not enough groups in the Northwest Territories. Is that right?

[Jean-Luc Racine]

No, actually, I said that there was technically no seniors federation in the Northwest Territories. Usually, representative organizations are members of our federation. So we have no members in Nunavut, but we do have members in the Northwest Territories and Yukon. It is all done through their representative organizations, and the same goes for Newfoundland and Labrador. With that exception, each Canadian province has federations.

[Dan Harris, NDP, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

I mention that issue because this committee has discussed it a number of times. During the previous Parliament, the committee undertook a study on linguistic duality in the north. The committee went to Yukon and the Northwest Territories. We just had Nunavut left to visit. We, the five members of the opposition, would like to complete the report. In addition, we have already spent $100,000 on that study. Do you think that report could be useful to you?

[Jean-Luc Racine]

It depends. I have not seen the content of the report, I don't know what topics it deals with, and so on. My northern communities clearly need support, in terms of seniors, if nothing else. We would certainly be very glad of any studies that may help us figure out the best way to support francophone communities in Canada's north. We could examine the study and use some of the recommendations as guidelines. Yes, of course.

[Dan Harris, NDP, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

We still hope to have the opportunity to complete that report.

I also heard that you need multi-year funding.

For BCRC, you're talking about core funding. We're all talking about the same kind of thing. It's something that seems to be repeated time and time again, as witnesses are coming before us, and at other committees, that only temporary, short-term funding is available and that this is having an effect globally across Canada in all kinds of different areas with respect to groups' abilities to plan long term.

Would anyone perhaps like to talk about how important that funding in more detail?

[Louise-Hélène Villeneuve]

I can say that, ultimately, long-term funding of an organization is more cost-effective. We know that. In fact, we cannot guarantee to some of our employees that they will be with us next year.

I have an analogy, if I may. Let's imagine a brand new residential district—which are now common—where all the trees are ripped out, and so on. If someone is moving there for a year, but perhaps no longer than that, they probably won't take the time to improve the grounds or do any landscaping in order to live in a nice community. That will not necessarily be the case. However, if other neighbours know that they will be there for a long time, they will get more involved.

All to say that, if we could afford to give our employees contracts for more than one year, we could become more consistent. We could also save on the cost of recruiting and everything that goes with it.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Thank you, Ms. Villeneuve and Mr. Harris.

Ms. Ambler, go ahead.

[Stella Ambler, Conservative, Mississauga South, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you to the witnesses for appearing before the committee today.

Let me apologize, first and foremost. Not having heard the opening statements, some of my questions may not be as relevant as those of my colleagues who came before me today.

My questions will be related to the work I do as a member of the status of women committee. Currently we are working on two reports. One is on violence against aboriginal women. The other is on elder abuse. Today of all days is a solemn day. We're reminded of the massacre at École Polytechnique. I believe that reminds us that sometimes acts of violence are perpetrated by mad men and are senseless and just impossible for us to understand. But that doesn't absolve us of responsibility as Canadians, and as a government, to deal with the issue of violence against women. The White Ribbon Campaign that is currently happening also focuses on domestic abuse.

Madame Beaulieu, you mentioned, I believe, that your association published a document on services for women that deal with violence against women. Is that correct?

[Manon Beaulieu]

Actually, not quite. Some of our members work specifically with women's groups, but as we mentioned earlier, across Canada we only have four centres. We know that it's the provincial governments that provide services in social areas, but if we don't have the support from the federal government at least to improve that.... A lot of the time, French-speaking women in distress will have to phone an English line, and there will not even be a bilingual person there. It's very frustrating for them.

They do a lot of work in collaboration with the anglophones, but the counselling and the services are minimal.

[Stella Ambler, Conservative, Mississauga South, ON]

On a more philosophical note, part of the White Ribbon Campaign, you may know, involves requiring men to take on responsibility and to be role models for their sons and young men. The government believes this is an important way to combat violence against women. Would you agree that this public awareness that it's not just a women's issue is important for actually solving the problem?

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Thank you very much, Madam Ambler.

Go ahead.

[Louise-Hélène Villeneuve]

To give a quick answer, absolutely. I think it's a society issue. It's not just a women's issue. I think everybody should be involved. It starts at a young age as well.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Thank you very much to our witnesses for their testimony and their presentations and to members of the committee for their questions and comments.

We're going to suspend for two minutes to allow our witnesses to leave the room. Then we're going to go into committee—

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

Are we going in camera?

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Not necessarily.

I'm assuming that the witnesses are going to leave the room. I'm assuming that they're not going to stay here to listen to us debate the letter from the Commission scolaire francophone du Yukon. We're going to suspend for two minutes. Then we're going to go on to our second item on the orders of the day, which is the discussion of the letter, as requested by Monsieur Godin.

This meeting is suspended.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

We're coming out of suspension.

Mr. Menegakis has asked for the floor.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

I'm sorry, Mr. Chair, I have a point of order.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Yes.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

I did ask first, and you said yes. Then you turned around after that and said that you would recognize him.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

I don't recall saying that, Monsieur Godin.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Well, you have a short memory, Mr. Chair, because I did.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

When did you ask me that?

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Just before, when you were adjourning, I said I wanted to go on this issue. You said it was my letter that I brought in, and you said, yes, and he asked after that—

[Costas Menegakis, Conservative, Richmond Hill, ON]

I had that before as well—