Official Languages Committee on March 27th, 2014

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Welcome to the 16^th meeting of the Standing Committee on Official Languages on this Thursday, March 27, 2014.

Pursuant to Standing Order 108, we are studying the economic situation of Canada's minority linguistic communities.

Today we will be hearing from four groups. We will be begin with the Conseil de développement économique de l'Alberta.

[Marc S. Tremblay, President and Chief Executive Officer, Conseil de développement économique de l’Alberta]

Good morning.

Mr. Chair, members of the Standing Committee on Official Languages, thank you for inviting us to appear before you this morning. The Conseil de développement économique de l'Alberta is a member of RDÉE Canada, the Réseau de développement économique et d'employabilité du Canada. I would like to use the few minutes allotted for my presentation to review the brief that we submitted to the committee.

For the past 18 years, with the support of the Canadian government and other partners, the Conseil de développement économique de l'Alberta, or CDEA, has assisted thousands of francophone business people and entrepreneurs who have started up businesses. Those entrepreneurs have created jobs and made a positive contribution to the economies of Alberta and Canada.

We already have 238,000 Albertans who speak French. Francophones arrive in Alberta every day. Many come to enjoy economic benefits, find a job or start up a business. There is a labour shortage in certain industries, and we are therefore pleased to take in newcomers, but it would better if they came as families and settled permanently.

Despite the fact that we welcome francophones with open arms, many decide to live in Alberta only on a part-time basis, moving on to Quebec City, New Brunswick or elsewhere after working for 10, 14 or 21 days. We can only wonder why they do not settle permanently with their families. We have all the infrastructure necessary to take them in: French-language schools, reception centres, employment centres, a mentoring network for entrepreneurs starting up businesses, community centres, francophone parishes, occupational activities, family activities and festivals. It would be better for Alberta's francophone community if they came as families to stay.

Franco-Albertans and newcomers are scattered across Alberta, from Fort McMurray to Plamondon, including Grande Prairie, Beaumont, St. Albert, Morinville, Edmonton, Lacombe, Red Deer, Calgary and Medicine Hat. Although demand for our services is strong, the Conseil de développement économique de l'Alberta is unfortunately unable to provide services to francophones across the province despite its provincial mandate. Although it is difficult to serve our clientele, we thank our partners, with whom we work together to leverage our impact. CDEA has worked with Liaison Entreprise for several years now to assist francophone entrepreneurs. We have offered no fewer than 37 webinars and workshops for francophone entrepreneurs and business people since 2005.

On a different note, the tourism industry is a major economic development driver in Alberta. Another noteworthy partner is the one that helped develop a smart phone app to support the Pan-Western Francophone Tourism Corridor. That project is funded by the Economic Development Initiative under the aegis of Western Economic Diversification Canada. It is a partnership involving the Government of Canada, the private sector and four francophone economic organizations: the Société de développement économique de la Colombie-Britannique, the Conseil de la coopération de la Saskatchewan, the Conseil de développement économique des municipalités bilingues du Manitoba and us, CDEA.

The app helps francophone tourists plan their trip before they leave home. They can use it to take a virtual tour of the west and, of course, to assist them in their travels once they are here. They can locate businesses, museums, restaurants, cottages and hotels where they can be served in French. To date, the application has been used more than 25,000 times by Canadians from across the country, including francophones from western Canada and Quebeckers, but also by French, Swiss, Belgians and others.

This app, combined with the 12^th annual tour guide, which we have just published, and our 10 strategies for increasing the active offer of French-language services at hotels and restaurants, shows that we are very active and involved in tourism development. Our activities in this industry support thousands of jobs, francophone and bilingual workers as well as tourism entrepreneurs and operators, all of which makes a considerable contribution to the Albertan and Canadian economy.

In conclusion, I hope that our brief, my testimony and that of the other speakers will help you form a clear picture of the reality of francophones who choose to live in the midst of the anglophone majority. For some, the decision to live in a minority setting is not an easy one. They have probably come to western Canada because they need a job. Others live in a minority setting because that choice is based on their lifestyle, perhaps their family. Still others were born in a minority community and have lived their entire lives in French. The common denominator of these thousands of francophones is that they have chosen to live their lives as francophones where they want, in Alberta, Yukon, British Columbia or elsewhere. That is their choice and their right.

It is important to recall that these francophones contribute to the economies of the provinces and of Canada. Many face linguistic challenges every day, at work, at the doctor's office or in their interactions with provincial governments.

The Government of Canada has long supported francophones through initiatives and programs such as the roadmap for linguistic duality and by implementing the Enabling Fund for Official Language Minority Communities.

Agencies such as CDEA and RDÉE Canada continue to support francophones and the Canadian government in providing services to that population. It is fundamentally important that the Government of Canada continue to do so, which will enable minority language Canadians to flourish and make a major contribution to the Canadian economy.

I have some information kits with me, in French only, in case committee members would like to have a copy.

Thank you for your attention and interest.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Thank you, Mr. Tremblay.

I now yield the floor to Mr. Therrien, who represents the Conseil de la coopération de la Saskatchewan.

[Robert Therrien, Executive Director, Conseil de la coopération de la Sasktchewan]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I would like to thank you on behalf of the Conseil de la coopération de la Saskatchewan, or CCS, for inviting me to appear before you as you begin your study on the economic situation of Canada's minority linguistic communities.

CCS, which was founded in 1947, is the organization mandated by the Fransaskois community to promote economic and cooperative development across the province. We are members of RDÉE Canada and of Co-operatives and Mutuals Canada, the former Conseil canadien de la coopération et de la mutualité. We are also one of the Francophone Economic Development Organizations in Western Canada, as my colleague just noted.

Other francophone organizations in the province offer programs and services in various activity sectors. We cooperate regularly and closely with those organizations to avoid duplicating services offered to the community and to maximize the resources put at our disposal.

A year ago, we signed a memorandum of understanding with the organization that represents us, the Assemblée communautaire fransaskoise, which is a member of the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada, to provide us with the tools to help us deliver services to our communities more efficiently and to clearly define the roles and responsibilities of each of our agencies.

Today we receive funding from four federal departments to provide direct services to the community, for which I thank you very much. Those departments are Western Economic Diversification Canada; Employment and Social Development Canada—previously HRSDC—through the Enabling Fund for Official Language Minority Communities; Canadian Heritage, through the Young Canada Works in Both Official Languages program for the Prairies and far north, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Northwest Territories and Nunavut; and, lastly, Citizenship and Immigration, which provides assistance to employers and job seekers.

Since our francophone population is widely scattered, we have four service points in the province so that we can get closer to that population. We nevertheless face certain challenges despite our efforts to decentralize our staff.

As you have probably heard, our provincial economy is very strong and the forecasts are for continued growth. The provincial unemployment rate is currently the lowest in the country, on a month-to-month basis, and is competitive with that of our provincial neighbour Alberta.

The construction and production sectors are currently experiencing strong growth and generating a lot of jobs in the province. The mining sector and the oil industry are also experiencing a period of growth and development in various parts of the province. The agricultural sector, although no longer the province's main economic driver, is constantly changing and contributing to the province's economy.

We are going through a period of growth and have a promising degree of stability for the future, but where do francophones stand in this economy?

Our population is scattered across the province. According to the 2011 census, French is the mother tongue of 16,280 residents, who represent only 1.6% of the province's overall population. According to the same census, approximately 47,000 people understand French in Saskatchewan. Some 65% of francophones live in urban areas and 35% in a rural setting.

According to the data, the Fransaskois population has the highest rate of population aging of all minority francophone communities in Canada. The majority of francophones in Saskatchewan work in government and the sales and service sector. In rural areas, they are mostly in the agricultural sector.

Despite our four service delivery points in the province, we must nevertheless travel long distances to serve our rural communities. This results in a lack of ongoing and timely support and inefficient use of our staff's time and slows development in certain cases because our employees are not constantly in the communities.

We are still in a position where we cannot offer the same services as our anglophone counterparts in the Community Futures program. For more than 20 years now, every member of that anglophone network has had an investment fund to support business development. We can support future entrepreneurs to a certain degree, but we have to direct them to an anglophone provider if they need financing.

According to the last census, there has been an increase in Saskatchewan's francophone population. Despite that fact, we see that the immigrant and migrant populations, which often come from the larger centres in eastern Canada, have difficulty entering the labour market. Often out of despair, these people try to set up in business even though that was not their first intention.

Since we are the only francophone organization in the province that offers this service, our staff is at times engaged in a support process with these clients who are unable to start up a business.

I have a few recommendations for you.

First of all, we would like certain programs intended for francophones to show some flexibility in meeting needs specific to the community. We are aware of the Economic Development Initiative in the roadmap, but it is defined on the basis of the departments' criteria and does not at all meet the needs of the communities.

I would also like people to take advantage of the value added by the francophone community, as indicated by the last study conducted by the Conference Board of Canada. That would help make better use of the business specialties of Quebec and the rest of Canada.

Lastly, I would like the government to ensure that all agreements between Canada and the provinces involving a devolution of power and responsibilities contain a clause requiring the provinces to contribute to the development of the Francophonie.

Thank you for listening.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Thank you, Mr. Therrien.

Now we'll have Mr. Buck and Mr. Myers from the Community Economic Development and Employability Corporation.

[John Buck, Executive Director, Community Economic Development and Employability Corporation]

Good morning, Mr. Chair, vice-chairs Monsieur Godin and Ms. St-Denis, members of the committee, mes chers collègues, ladies and gentlemen.

Thank you for inviting CEDEC to testify at this committee on the vitally important subject of economic development in Canada's official language minority communities, OLMCs.

As a leading partner and driving force for community economic development and employability, CEDEC sparks economic innovation in building forward-looking, prosperous, and confident communities across Quebec. We do this through sharing expertise, knowledge, and building partnerships. CEDEC is Canada's only English OLMC organization with the mandate of community economic development and employability.

CEDEC's community planning processes lay a foundation for engaged citizens, entrepreneurs, and partners to identify and advance viable economic development projects. This important step provides a solid framework to leverage investments that lead to business development and job creation.

Across Quebec, CEDEC is working with a number of communities to develop community economic development plans that serve to engage partners and stakeholders and leverage investments directly for economic projects in communities.

These community economic development plans are an integral part of our overall strategic plan, which outlines measurable results that will make a positive impact in our community and our economy. This work is increasing economic prosperity, one of the priorities identified by the Quebec Community Groups Network in its strategic priorities forum.

I have a few short examples to illustrate.

In the Gaspésie, across the bay from Mr. Godin's constituency, CEDEC is brokering partnerships from within the official language minority community and the majority community towards achieving a common goal of community revitalization. Working directly with the Committee for Anglophone Social Action, various CLEs, and six municipalities as partners, more than $2 million in investments has been leveraged for direct benefit of communities that have a significant English-speaking presence. More than 90% of those investments come from non-federal government sources.

These investments are having a direct benefit on the whole community, as we identify and address common economic opportunities, such as tourism and labour market requirements.

In the Magdalen Islands, a multi-phase tourism development plan for Grosse-Île is mobilizing partners, such as the Council for Anglophone Magdalen Islanders and the municipality, to bolster its economy, which has been heavily dependent on the volatile fishing industry.

As we look at tourism as a means for economic diversification, this example illustrates how OLM communities are strategically placed to complement Canada's economic action plan and federal tourism plan and contribute to the more than 157,000 businesses and 608,000 jobs in Canada's tourism sector.

These examples of entrepreneurial communities equipped with community economic development plans are generating new business opportunities and meaningful jobs. These businesses require support if they are to succeed and become engines of job creation, economic growth, and innovation.

CEDEC, which has benefited from investments leveraged from the economic development initiative, is mobilizing partners, resources, and information to directly support more than 1,000 small businesses across Quebec to grow and create jobs.

We recognize the importance of this work, given that in Canada, small businesses account for 98% of companies, employ 48% of working Canadians, and contribute about 30% to the GDP.

Quebec's English-speaking community is highly entrepreneurial and bilingual and represents a competitive advantage for our economy. We have evidence of the benefits of bilingualism in a recent Conference Board of Canada study, “Canada, Bilingualism and Trade”, jointly commissioned by CEDEC and RDÉE Canada with support from Industry Canada.

The first Canadian plan for economic development of official language minority communities will provide a national, evidence-based framework and supportive environment for small businesses to expand their networks and create partnerships within and among OLMCs.

This is a game changer. As one of Canada's most underutilized economic opportunities, OLMCs are connecting and mobilizing to contribute to Canada's economic prosperity in new and innovative ways. Working arm in arm with our partners at RDÉE Canada and its network across the country, we are promoting this innovative opportunity far and wide, coast to coast to coast, with the goal of engaging stakeholders from the private sector, communities, economic organizations, and all levels of government.

We hope this study will be an influential piece of information for this committee as you study and provide recommendations on how to harness fully the considerable potential for economic growth and job creation that exists in OLM communities.

We have a few recommendations.

First, the enabling fund for official language minority communities is a powerful lever for community economic development investments that benefit whole communities. We strongly recommend that the Government of Canada continue this important investment to ensure there is a viable and prosperous English-speaking community contributing to our Canadian economy.

Second, CEDEC asks the leadership within the federal government to ensure that it engages in efforts to seek input from all stakeholders in Quebec's OLMC in order to develop sound policy and effective programs that will enable the community to build on its considerable economic potential, rather than focus exclusively on addressing its needs and deficits.

Third, there's a lack of focused and timely information about the economic situation of OLMCs and their relation and impact on Canada's economy. This inhibits the ability of both government and the community to institute policies and programs from a sound position of knowledge. The Government of Canada should increase investments in research related to the economic situation and potential of official language minority communities.

Finally, the Government of Canada must recognize the considerable and undervalued potential of Canada's official language minority communities as engines for economic growth and job creation. Investments in economic and human resource development within Canada's OLMCs should not be recognized merely as a legislative obligation, but as an important contribution to Canada's long-term prosperity.

Thank you very much.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Thank you, Mr. Buck.

Now we will hear from Mr. Léger, from the Réseau de développement économique et d'employabilité Canada.

[Jean Léger, Executive Director, Réseau de développement économique et d'employabilité (RDÉE) Canada]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I want to thank committee members for inviting us here this morning.

My name is Jean Léger and I am executive director of the Réseau de développement économique et d'employabilité Canada, better known as RDÉE Canada. The chairman of our board, Gilles Lanteigne, who is from New Brunswick, was to be with us this morning, but the weather was not very good in the Maritimes yesterday and he is unable to be here this morning.

I will begin with a brief history of how RDÉE came about and then tell you about the benefits reaped to date by our organization, which has become a key economic driver in Canada. Like those who preceded me, I will conclude with a series of recommendations to the committee that will give RDÉE the means to develop the full economic potential of Canada's francophone and Acadian communities.

RDÉE Canada was created in 1997 with the original objective of organizing economic development in all of Canada's francophone and Acadian communities, except Quebec.

Specifically, RDÉE Canada, which stands for Réseau de développement économique et d’employabilité Canada—Canada's francophone economic development and employability network—fosters mobilization, collaboration and coordination of efforts to support francophone and Acadian communities to contribute fully to Canada's prosperity.

RDÉE Canada derives its strength and inspiration from its extensive Canadian network. Each province and territory, except Quebec, has an RDÉE Canada member organization. This morning you had a chance to hear from two representatives of those organizations, the Conseil de développement économique de l'Alberta and the Conseil de la coopération de la Saskatchewan. RDÉE Canada members come directly from Canada's francophone and Acadian communities. Business people from a range of backgrounds come together to help create the conditions to build a solid and, of course, sustainable economy.

The members of the RDÉE Canada board are all entrepreneurs and business people active in their respective sectors from all provinces and territories, except Quebec. They are all volunteers who are involved in their communities and who have chosen to live in our Canada in French. In doing so, they help other francophones and Acadians to do the same. By creating jobs, they contribute to our country's prosperity and proudly promote our values of linguistic duality by helping French prosper and flourish.

RDÉE Canada has four priority action areas on which we are working hard.

The first action area is the Canadian economic Francophonie. The task is to ensure that this Francophonie running from east to west and including the north works together and that our francophone entrepreneurs work together. Here we also see the connections with francophones from Quebec.

We also have another action area, economic immigration. The goal here is to educate employers about hiring immigrants and, of course, to invite immigrants to settle in our communities.

The tourism area represents excellent potential for the Canadian Francophonie. We need to enhance the francophone tourism product and to extend its outreach to the national and international levels. This becomes a kind of value-added for our country.

The fourth action area is the green economy. We must ensure that our businesses and communities go green for the sake of sustainable development.

In addition to these four main action areas are the other, more sector-based initiatives. I will name only a few, in fact two key issues for the francophone communities.

The first is labour. This issue often highlights the gap between business needs and the skills businesses seek and labour availability. We must direct our young people to promising sectors in our various regions.

Another area requiring our attention, both anglophones and francophones, is entrepreneurial succession. Changes in business ownership in the OLMCs is becoming a critical issue for the sustainability of businesses and the communities. You can imagine the consequences of losing a business in a rural francophone community. It obviously undermines demographic and economic vitality.

RDÉE Canada and its members have achieved concrete, measurable results. RDÉE Canada commissioned Ronald Bisson and Associates Inc. to measure the influence it exercised from 2009 to 2012. Here are a few examples of our contributions.

Our network invested $100 million in the Canadian economy over those three years through the Enabling Fund for Official Language Minority Communities, which serves as a lever and encourages the private sector and federal and provincial departments to participate in a real way. It thus helped create 3,700 direct and indirect jobs.

For example, every year RDÉE Canada members support 20,000 entrepreneurs through various activities. We want to do even more and further maximize the impact of our actions. We would like to establish a Canadian economic development plan for the official language minority communities.

As you can see, as a result of the enabling fund, we have taken various actions that have had a major impact.

Further to these achievements and the confirmation of the economic importance of French for all Canadians, RDÉE Canada undertook an inclusive, nation-wide consultation in cooperation with its Quebec anglophone colleagues from CEDEC to involve both economic and community players in the plan and thus to encourage cooperation on specific projects.

We are not necessarily trying to stick with the strategies, but rather to engage in actual projects. I can tell you that 1,200 people responded to an on-line survey, which gave us a good overview of the economic concerns of our communities across the country, including in Quebec.

I will close with a few recommendations.

You may have noticed that limited research is being done on economic development or on the economy of official language minority communities. We recommend that more studies be conducted on the economic development of OLMCs under Industry Canada's Economic Development Initiative.

We also recommend consulting and engaging in open dialogue with the communities for improved efficiency of federal government investment for the amounts identified under the roadmap for official languages, supported by the Canadian Plan for Economic Development of OLMC, which we are developing.

Lastly, we recommend that the federal government continue and enhance Employment and Social Development Canada's enabling fund to allow the francophone and Acadian communities to continue contributing to the economy of our country, to create ties with other federal government departments and agencies, the provinces and the private sector and to exercise an influence over them.

That concludes my presentation, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Thank you.

Now we have an hour and a half for questions and comments since Mr. Godin will introduce his motion next Tuesday.

Mr. Godin, you have the floor.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I want to welcome everyone to the Standing Committee on Official Languages. The study we are conducting is important for the official language minority communities in Canada. The subject of this study has been submitted to us by the government.

In my travels across Canada, I have had the opportunity to meet minority official language groups that said they needed assistance. Let us hope our study will help improve their situation.

Our group has divided up the various questions. Please be assured that, if I do not ask you a particular question, someone else will. I appreciate the fact that 15 minutes has been added to the question period. It is important to gather your comments.

Mr. Léger, from RDÉE Canada, you said in your presentation that several official language stakeholders had told you there was limited research on the economic situation of official language minority communities. How could a Canadian economic development plan for official language minority communities remedy that situation? I would like you to give me as brief an answer as possible since I have other questions for you.

[Jean Léger]

Of course, Mr. Godin.

As I said earlier, 1,200 people responded to the cross-Canada consultation that we held. The answers helped us target key sectors where efforts must be focused in particular. However, there is not necessarily any research specific to official language minority communities in those sectors.

I have worked at RDÉE Canada for two years, and I can confirm that there is very little research. Virtually everything has to be done. RDÉE Canada has conducted a few studies, including the one appearing in your document.

As I said earlier, it would be good if Industry Canada's Economic Development Initiative, which is part of Canada's Roadmap for Official Languages 2013-2018, helped put greater emphasis on economic development research.

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

I would like to discuss another point. Some studies have been conducted, and it appears there are several economic development plans concerning minority francophone communities, including the overall development plan developed in every community, the community strategic plan and the integrated action plan that emerged from the 2012 Pan-Canadian Forum on Economic Development in Canadian Francophonie. That important study was conducted and a plan was put forward.

RDÉE Canada and CEDEC recently began consultations that will lead to another economic development plan.

Why are you not focusing your efforts on implementing the existing plans that were developed by the communities? To be frank with you, I would say that something is not right here. Why not work together?

[Jean Léger]

One of the plans you refer to, the community strategic plan, goes back to 2008 and is therefore somewhat dated now. The integrated plan, which was developed in Gatineau in 2012, put specific emphasis on public policies and included Quebec francophones. It focused to a great extent on the impact of public policies.

The plan we would like to design focuses more on promising projects and projects that meet the needs of entrepreneurs and the private sector. When we developed our plan's methodology, we mainly wanted to gather the comments of business people. The Gatineau plan focused more on the government and institutional sector and the private sector to a lesser degree. It did not go far enough in determining the actual needs of businesses and business people.

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

Mr. Léger, did you consult the FCFA and QCGN?

[Jean Léger]

Yes, I could not speak for the QCGN, since it is more on the anglophone side—

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

But you said you had spoken with the people from Quebec. I thought that was the QCGN.

[Jean Léger]

No, it was the FCFA. We belong to the Leaders' Forum. The FCFA was indeed consulted. I even met with the people from its executive office concerning this process. By the end of April, we will also be specifically consulting the FCFA and its members.

A situation arose in which the FCFA was not involved, and that may be what caused a kind of uncomfortable situation with that organization. That was when we established an advisory committee to determine the plan's parameters. We wanted to focus on economic organizations and stakeholders. However, the FCFA is more a community stakeholder, and a very important one at that, than an economic stakeholder.

We also wanted to bring together government representatives, that is to say people from the public service, to ensure that our plan was consistent with Canada's economic action plan in particular, which is an extremely important government plan, and with the official language action plan.

That committee's mandate was really to align all that with the plan we were designing.

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

Thank you.

Now I have to move on to my friend from Alberta.

You say that francophones go to Alberta and then stay there. I ask you please not to drain Acadie.

Some people back home would like to go and work in Alberta. Women phone and tell me they would like to go and work on job sites there cleaning rooms or doing other, similar work. However, the people there bring in temporary foreign workers who do not even speak English or French, neither of our country's languages, to do that kind of work.

It is possible for people to stay in Alberta once they have worked there. Many foreign workers go there, but our people do not have that opportunity. I am building a file on this because I think this even violates our country's laws.

[Marc S. Tremblay]

What is your question?

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

Do you work with groups that try to bring in francophones from Quebec, New Brunswick or Acadie who otherwise would not have the opportunity to work in Alberta?

[Marc S. Tremblay]

Absolutely. The Conseil de développement économique de l'Alberta is a major player in that area. Every day we receive requests for information on available jobs from Canadians and immigrants wishing to settle in Canada.

We work closely with francophone employment centres such as Accès Emploi in Edmonton and Connexion Carrière in Calgary. There is even an employment centre in Grande Prairie that is managed by the regional ACFA office in Grande Prairie. We direct people who call us there.

This is quite a big challenge. Some foreign workers can take the place of Canadians by occupying certain jobs. However, Canadians who speak English and French often have a place. It is true that there are foreign workers, but, in most cases, you have to speak English in order to get a job in Alberta.

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

I frankly do not agree with you and I am going to prove it.

[Marc S. Tremblay]

In many cases, you have to speak English in order to settle down and live in Alberta. Francophones who come to Alberta go for long periods of time without a job. Their low level of proficiency in English makes it hard for them to find a job. We can help them by offering them English courses.

Yes, some foreign workers come to work in Alberta, but that is something we cannot influence directly. One member of our association hires Filipinos because it is easy for him to recruit them.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Thank you.

Mr. Gourde, you have the floor.

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

Do Filipinos speak more English than the francophones who arrive in Alberta?