Official Languages Committee on Dec. 11th, 2018

[The Chair, Liberal, Denis Paradis]

Not for you?

[Darrell Samson, Liberal, Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS]

I'm not available on Thursday.

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

Mr. Chair, if I may—

[The Chair, Liberal, Denis Paradis]

The question is on the date of December 13.

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

This is not about who is available.

I would remind you that we are supposed to sit on Thursday since the House of Commons calendar goes until December 14. As it does every year, the House is adjourning a bit earlier, but in reality we would normally sit until Friday. I have no problem with our committee meeting on Thursday. Anyone who can't attend that meeting can find a replacement. It's no big deal.

[Alupa Clarke, Conservative, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

We'll hold the fort.

[The Chair, Liberal, Denis Paradis]

Back to the amendment on Thursday morning's meeting.

If I may, I have before me an amendment that talks about “December 13, if possible”. That is what I'm reading.

So it would be this Thursday morning as usual. I would ask the Clerk to see if there are any witnesses available to meet with us at that time.

Is that the approach we'll try to take?

[François Choquette, NDP, Drummond, QC]

Yes.

[The Chair, Liberal, Denis Paradis]

Okay, the amendment is adopted in favour of meeting on Thursday morning, if possible.

Back to the main motion, which I have in hand.

Mr. Arsenault, you would like to intervene?

[René Arseneault, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

Will we find out as soon as possible if this meeting is going through?

[The Chair, Liberal, Denis Paradis]

The Clerk will certainly contact the people we mentioned and she will get back to us.

[René Arseneault, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

Personally, I'm leaving rather early on Thursday morning because I have a 10-hour trip ahead of me, but I will be here. Nonetheless, I would like to know the night before.

[Darrell Samson, Liberal, Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS]

If that doesn't work I can come back for a day in mid-January.

[The Chair, Liberal, Denis Paradis]

I've just been informed by the clerk that she will see to it as soon as we're adjourned.

[René Arseneault, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

Very well.

[The Chair, Liberal, Denis Paradis]

Shall we hold the meeting even if just one person can attend?

[François Choquette, NDP, Drummond, QC]

Yes, we shall.

[Darrell Samson, Liberal, Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS]

I object; it's important that they be heard. They need to be heard.

[René Arseneault, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

Don't ask for the impossible.

[François Choquette, NDP, Drummond, QC]

Excuse me, Mr. Chair, but it is highly unlikely that all four witnesses will be available.

[Darrell Samson, Liberal, Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS]

We would need three people, at least.

[François Choquette, NDP, Drummond, QC]

The motion as amended says four people. I believe that, if two of them can show up, that should be enough to hold the meeting. Having all four on the same day may be asking too much, but we should be able to go forward with two.

[The Chair, Liberal, Denis Paradis]

Mr. Arseneault.

[René Arseneault, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

Personally, Mr. Chair, I don't need to hear from Ms. Adam, because we already heard from university officials last week.

As regards Ontario's Deputy Minister of Francophone Affairs, I agree with Mr. Généreux that we need to hear what she has to say. We also need to hear from Ontario's Deputy Minister for Training, Colleges and Universities.

At a minimum, those two witnesses need to be here or it won't be worth it.

[The Chair, Liberal, Denis Paradis]

Shall we agree that both of these witnesses need to be present?