Official Languages Committee on Oct. 25th, 2011

[Royal Galipeau, Conservative, Ottawa—Orléans, ON]

But it's a lot better than having a lock on the door, which was the case previously.

While we're sitting here today, something is happening in the House of Commons. The Public Service Commission's report was just tabled this morning. Are you aware of that report?

[Graham Fraser]

I'm aware of that report in terms of the mention of our organization.

[Royal Galipeau, Conservative, Ottawa—Orléans, ON]

The commissioner specifically is dealing with hiring practices throughout the government, and she's pointing out.... She has a report card, too, and she pointed out that 65% of the appointments you make in your office, in your commission, are outside of the merit system. Do you have any comments about that?

[Graham Fraser]

My recollection of her report was that in the bulk of those, merit was not sufficiently demonstrated. We were not outside the merit system, but that merit was not sufficiently demonstrated. The one element in which we were identified as not respecting merit was, in my view, a technicality, and she acknowledged it to the extent that the details were not published in the report.

We have responded to every one of her recommendations and have set in place an action plan so we can address the issues she identified. To a large extent, those issues were ones of failure to report on merit.

I'll ask Lise Cloutier to give a more detailed answer.

[Lise Cloutier, Assistant Commissioner, Corporate Management Branch, Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages]

The issues around merit not being demonstrated resulted from a review that the Public Service Commission auditors did.of a large number of files It was found that the files did not contain sufficient information.

For example, some of the justifications were missing. Some of the ratings that were used were.... There were some qualities that may not have been assessed. The Public Service Commission was of the view that the files did not show that merit was actually demonstrated. They are not, however, saying that merit was not respected, which is not the case at all. So we have put in place a much stricter mechanism within our human resources group to ensure that all of the appropriate documents are on the files, so that merit is demonstrated in every case.

[Royal Galipeau, Conservative, Ottawa—Orléans, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I would like to share any remaining time with my colleague.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Thank you.

Mr. Gourde, please.

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, QC]

Commissioner, to complete this five-minute round, I would like to come back to health care.

Earlier, we talked about health care workers who are dealing with an increasingly aging population. Unfortunately, however, in some regions of Canada, health care professionals are also aging.

One of the government's priorities is to ensure that all regions of Canada have access to skilled health care professionals. I believe that the initiative laid out under the Roadmap for Canada's Linguistic Duality, which is intended to increase the number of people and allow them to settle in the regions, will help our Francophone communities.

Do you have any idea of the number of new professionals who were able to avail themselves of these programs under the Roadmap in the regions of Canada? Is the trend on the rise?

[Graham Fraser]

I cannot provide exact numbers at this time, but I hope to be in a position to do so when I come back before the committee to talk about the Roadmap.

I noted that the programs offered at the University of Ottawa and at Laurentian University were developed with a view to ensuring an increase. However, I am unable to provide detailed numbers at this time.

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, QC]

Thank you, Commissioner.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Mr. Gourde, do you any other questions?

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, QC]

I will come back on another five-minute round.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Go ahead.

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, QC]

Should I complete the round? Will there be another if I continue? There is one more round for the Opposition, and it will be able to use that time. That way, we will have the same number of questions.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Thank you.

Mr. Aubin, please.

[Robert Aubin, NDP, Trois-Rivières, QC]

Since time is flying by, Mr. Chairman, I will share my time with my two colleagues. Our challenge is to ask three questions in five minutes.

My question concerns something that has caused a great deal of ink to flow in Quebec in recent days. It has to do with the appointment of Supreme Court justices. I seem to have read or heard that you were very much in favour of the NDP bill proposing that Supreme Court justices be bilingual. My question is quite a simple one. Did the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages take steps to influence the appointment process or the appointment of Supreme Court justices?

[Graham Fraser]

No. I appeared several times and participated in a public debate on the bill in the last Parliament, but I had no special access to the committee charged with preparing the short list that was given to the government.

On the other hand, I can tell you that I recently read a paper by Sébastien Grammond and Mark Power, published by the Institute of Intergovernmental Relations, School of Policy Studies, at Queen's University, which presents a very good summary of why this is so important.

[Robert Aubin, NDP, Trois-Rivières, QC]

Thank you.

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

I will be brief.

As you already know, the Standing Committee on Official Languages conducted a study on immigration in official language minority communities. A report was produced—the one you actually mentioned in your own report. However, that report has not yet been presented to the government, nor will it be, based on my understanding.

Do you think the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism is really in a position to properly assess the steps that need to be taken to foster increased Francophone immigration and better integration of immigrants into these communities? As you mentioned, that is extremely important. Do you think he is in a position to do so if these recommendations or findings are never presented to the government?

[Graham Fraser]

I believe that all information of this kind is very important, in order for a minister to make his or her own assessment.

I have not seen the report. As a result, I cannot comment on it. However, I believe this is a very important issue. Any study or information on the program is likely to be extremely helpful in any decisions that are made with respect to this policy.

[Dan Harris, NDP, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

You mentioned in the report this morning that the level of complaints has remained relatively stable, to the exclusion of the peaks and valleys. Now, does this not give you concern that perhaps things are not progressing well enough, that the overall level of complaints isn't going down? Or is it because of a greater awareness of the process, in your opinion?

[Graham Fraser]

I always have difficulty arriving at a useful conclusion as to the tendencies in terms of reports. I sometimes wonder why there aren't more complaints. I don't know whether it is because, as some would claim, the situation has improved, or because people aren't aware that they can lay complaints, or because people have become disillusioned and disabused of the value of making complaints, just take for granted that their language rights won't be respected, and shrug their shoulders.

I think the complaint mechanism should be seen primarily as a tool for getting government institutions who have obligations to correct their errors or their failures, as opposed to a barometer which demonstrates the overall success or failure of government institutions.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Thank you, Mr. Fraser.

We have three minutes left. I will recognize Mr. Galipeau.

[Royal Galipeau, Conservative, Ottawa—Orléans, ON]

I just want to come back to the public service commissioner's report. We've listened to an explanation.

It clearly says she found that 65% of your appointments were made without demonstrated merit, so that means 35% of your appointments were made with demonstrated merit. To use the terminology that's used in your own reports, 35% would be an F, wouldn't it be?

I just don't understand how it happened, because you're so well-versed with report cards, and you go and ferret out departments and agencies that don't follow the law and don't follow the prescribed procedures. I don't understand how you don't follow the prescribed procedures or even do it sufficiently 65% of the time.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Thank you Mr. Galipeau.

I'll give the final word to Mr. Fraser.