Evidence of meeting #65 for Official Languages in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was official.
A video is available from Parliament.
3:55 p.m.
Liberal
Stéphane Dion Liberal Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC
Mr. Minister, I did not say that she was not doing her job, but I see that you have not checked whether she is or not. I see that you take it for granted that she is doing her job. So you are the one not doing your job.
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
James Moore Conservative Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC
That is absolutely not true. You are a former minister, and your government delegated that responsibility to the departments. You seem to think that it is my duty, as the minister responsible for official languages, to police all my cabinet colleagues and that I should hit them with a stick if they aren't doing their job. Yet you are the one who implemented this policy. Are you not supporting this policy that you yourself have implemented?
3:55 p.m.
Liberal
Stéphane Dion Liberal Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC
I was the coordinator. My responsibility was to ensure that, when decisions were made, neither francophones nor anglophones in Quebec were affected. That is also your responsibility. It is in the job description.
3:55 p.m.
Liberal
Stéphane Dion Liberal Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC
You cannot say that it is the minister's role, but that you are not doing anything about it. In terms of co-operatives, could you tell us what exactly you have done to protect communities?
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
3:55 p.m.
Liberal
Stéphane Dion Liberal Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC
You were not even aware of the problem, and you said that the minister must have done a good job.
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
James Moore Conservative Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC
But it is your policy. You are the one who decided...
3:55 p.m.
Liberal
Stéphane Dion Liberal Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC
Yes, but it takes a minister to implement the policy.
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
James Moore Conservative Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC
I am doing my job and I can assure you...
3:55 p.m.
Liberal
Stéphane Dion Liberal Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC
No, you are not. You were not even aware of this.
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
James Moore Conservative Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC
Listen, our government spends $275 billion every year...
3:55 p.m.
Liberal
Stéphane Dion Liberal Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC
Okay, I was getting to the figures, Mr. Minister. Let's talk about them now...
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
James Moore Conservative Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC
I hope you don't want to go over every penny we spend and its impact on official languages. Look, I am doing my job. The Department of Canadian Heritage spends $2.8 billion every year. We have made an unprecedented commitment to official languages. I am very proud and very confident...
4 p.m.
Liberal
Stéphane Dion Liberal Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC
Let's talk about this unprecedented commitment, Mr. Minister...
4 p.m.
Conservative
James Moore Conservative Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC
Absolutely. I am very proud to be able to say that, as part of the 2012 budget, which you have voted down, we are the only government—unlike your government—to make the decision, at a time of global economic crisis, which has certainly affected Canada,...
4 p.m.
Liberal
Stéphane Dion Liberal Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC
Mr. Minister is taking up all the time I have, Mr. Chair. He is being rude.
4 p.m.
Conservative
James Moore Conservative Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC
...to continue to make unprecedented investments.
4 p.m.
Liberal
Stéphane Dion Liberal Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC
Mr. Minister is not letting me continue with my questions.
4 p.m.
Liberal
4 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Michael Chong
Thank you, Mr. Minister.
Mr. Dion, you have one minute to ask another question. Go ahead.
4 p.m.
Liberal
Stéphane Dion Liberal Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC
Thank you.
Now that we were able to see how little you know about the trees, let us look at the forest.
You just said that no cuts have been made. In current dollars, considering the cost of inflation, the development of the official language minority communities program was at $238 million four years ago, and it has dropped to $233 million. The enhancement of official languages program was at $358 million four years ago, and it has decreased to $340 million. And that's before the cuts and the budget plan, which is asking you to come up with $106 million.
Are you going to stop making cuts or, given the $106 million that you have to come up with in the next three years, are you going to further drain those two programs?