Official Languages Committee on Feb. 28th, 2013

[Corneliu Chisu, Conservative, Pickering—Scarborough East, ON]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Thank you.

Mr. Dionne Labelle, go ahead.

[Pierre Dionne Labelle, NDP, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

Thank you.

I was surprised to hear that a few senators went to Gatineau to attend the hearings. We will check what kind of travel expenses they claimed to make sure that rules were followed. They tend to get a bit carried away.

According to the Treasury Board Secretariat's annual report on official languages, you will apparently no longer have to produce an official languages annual review. You will be able to fill out a multiple choice questionnaire. What does that mean to you? Are you comfortable with that change? Do you think that takes your unique identity into account?

[Jean-Pierre Blais]

I was an assistant secretary within the Treasury Board in the past. I know that the people from the Treasury Board Secretariat are aware of the burden they sometimes place on small organizations.

[Pierre Dionne Labelle, NDP, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

Are you really a small organization?

[Jean-Pierre Blais]

If you compare us to an organization like the Canada Revenue Agency, we are small.

So they are trying to reduce our workload. That is as far as the Treasury Board Secretariat is concerned. As for us, we do not expect reports every three years. We do it because it is the right thing to do.

[Pierre Dionne Labelle, NDP, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

You should also not make any mistakes when checking tiny boxes. When unemployed people check off the wrong box, a problem arises.

[Jean-Pierre Blais]

I understand that it's important for the Treasury Board Secretariat to have general information. We can provide that. However, I can assure you that we meet our obligations under the Official Languages Act on a daily basis.

[Pierre Dionne Labelle, NDP, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

I don't think they send you “Harper macoutes“ if you check off the wrong box.

During his appearance in Gatineau, Graham Fraser shared his concerns regarding the renewal of CBC's licences. Among other things, he called on you to impose a regulatory framework that would ensure CBC/Radio-Canada fully carries out its mandate under the Broadcasting Act. He talked to you about some of CBC's decisions that worried him, including the transfer of youth programming onto the Web, the fact that the licence application makes little mention of the role Radio One and Documentary should play to reflect the realities of Quebec's English-speaking communities, the planned cutbacks in cross-cultural programming and the 2009 decision to eliminate virtually all local programming in Windsor.

Do you share the commissioner's concerns? What do you intend to do with regard to that regulatory framework?

[Jean-Pierre Blais]

I want to begin by saying that our organization was very happy to have Mr. Fraser at our hearings. That adds something to our public record. All the issues he raised were discussed during the hearing, but I cannot tell you what we will do about them because we are still debating.

[Pierre Dionne Labelle, NDP, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

That's what I thought. That is like the case of the federation that asked you for 15 per cent. You are also thinking about that.

Yvon Godin is not here today. However, when he was in Moncton, people felt that national television was Montreal's television. I remember that you reacted to that.

[Jean-Pierre Blais]

During the hearings, our role is to build a public record. We put all that together, we take into consideration all the elements and we try to make a decision that will allow us to best achieve the legislative objectives. However, our debates are ongoing. So I have to be careful.

[Pierre Dionne Labelle, NDP, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

Yes, that's right.

However, when you talk about reflection, do you mean to say that Canadians—and especially minority language communities—need their reality to be reflected on television, or they will stop watching?

[Jean-Pierre Blais]

Exactly. We cannot talk about CBC, so let's talk about other stakeholders.

I often speak in terms of reflection, which is divided into two categories. There is what I call mirror reflection, where the community sees itself. There is also window reflection, where the community sees its projection in the rest of Canada. Reflection has those two angles.

[Pierre Dionne Labelle, NDP, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Thank you, Mr. Dionne Labelle.

Are there any other questions or comments? If not, we can conclude the meeting.

Ms. Michaud, do you want to say something?

[Élaine Michaud, NDP, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Very quickly, Mr. Chair.

I would like to come back to the Official Languages and Minority Communities-CRTC Discussion Group. I wanted to check something with you. There was a work plan from 2008 to 2010. Is that work plan still in effect? Is there a new one? If so, could we get a copy of it?

[Jean-Pierre Blais]

As I said to Mr. Dion a bit earlier, the plan is no longer in effect, but we are working on a new plan that will be made public once it has been completed.

[Élaine Michaud, NDP, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Do you have any idea when that might be?

[Scott Hutton]

A subcommittee derived from the group is involved. In fact, a number of subcommittees are working on that issue. At the latest meeting, the participants were unable to come to a conclusion. The next meeting is scheduled for September.

[Jean-Pierre Blais]

Once it's been completed, we will gladly send you the documentation through the clerk.

[Élaine Michaud, NDP, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Thank you very much.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

I want to thank all the witnesses for participating in this meeting.

Thank you very much.

Without further ado, this meeting is adjourned.