The QCGN appeared before your colleagues at the Senate Standing Committee on Official Languages last week, providing our community's comments on the Government of Canada's response to the committee's substantive report, “The Vitality of Quebec's English-Speaking Communities: From Myth to Reality”. You have heard this report referenced many times by community sector organizations serving our community who have provided evidence to this committee. This historic report and its recommendations are a must read for those shaping Canada's official languages strategy.
There are three decisive messages we draw from the Senate report. First, Canada's French and English linguistic minority communities, as with all the citizens of this great country, must be afforded equal voice in the development of policies and programs aimed at enhancing the vitality of our communities.
Second, Canadians living in English linguistic minority communities should have equal access to government programs and services that originate or receive funding from the Government of Canada. It is not acceptable that, in the words of the Honourable Dennis Dawson, speaking as a member of the Senate committee on September, 13, 2010, our language rights become “collateral damage” or an afterthought in program delivery.
This both necessitates and translates into the third broad message. We deserve an equitable share of federal resources devoted to the government's support of our nation's official language minority communities.
Our testimony to the Senate committee on official languages welcomed the government's response to the Senate's report and generally supported its content. We urge this committee to review our Senate testimony of April 23. It highlights best practices in developing and maintaining effective partnerships with the community sector in our community. Our Senate testimony provides full credit and recognition to leading departments like the Treasury Board, Industry Canada, HRSDC, and especially Health Canada and Canadian Heritage, whose increased investment in understanding the needs of our community has led to direct benefits experienced by members of our community.