Official Languages Committee on Oct. 27th, 2011

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

Will you share that with us once you have finished?

[Sylvia Martin-Laforge]

Yes. We are presently working with our elected officials, our board, to examine the situation to see how and if we can take a stand on this. It will be made available to you.

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

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

If you come with a position on this, would you kindly give it to the clerk? We will then have it distributed to all members in both official languages.

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

I wish you'd ask the same question on the mid-term evaluation, Mr. Chairman.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Mr. Bélanger, I have made my best effort to get that information for you. It is not available.

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

Are you still not able to tell us who you got that information from?

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

I spoke to the parliamentary secretary and the parliamentary secretary's assistant. The clerk, I believe, has spoken to some people as well, and the information is not available.

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

Okay. Now we know where it comes from. Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Mr. Weston.

[John Weston, Conservative, West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, BC]

On a point of order, Bill C-315 is which bill?

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Bill C-315 is the one that I believe Monsieur Aubin has placed on the order paper. It concerns the application of Quebec's Bill 101 and la Charte de la langue française to federal institutions and regulated--

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

If I may, it concerns amendments to the official--

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

I'll give the floor to Monsieur Aubin for a point of clarification, and then we'll move on to the next speaker.

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

Thank you.

It is a very simple bill aimed at giving francophones who work in Quebec in a federally regulated workplace the same language rights as other francophone workers in Quebec.

The bill does not pertain to federal institutions, which come under the Official Languages Act.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

It is federally regulated workplaces.

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

The reason I bring it up is because it is a bill that modifies the Official Languages Act. If approved at second reading, it will likely be referred to this committee. Therefore, I'm seeking information from one of the communities that is directly concerned.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Fine.

Mr. Galipeau, the floor is yours.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

We are still talking about the 1995 referendum.

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

On a point of order, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Monsieur Godin has a point of order.

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

Bill C-315 does not amend the Official Languages Act, but rather the Canada Labour Code.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

That is not a point of order, it is a point of information.

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

I'm sorry, Mr. Chairman. It is a point of information.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Very well.

Mr. Galipeau, you have the floor.