Official Languages Committee on Feb. 21st, 2019

[Jean Rioux, Saint-Jean, Lib.]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Good morning, Mrs. Roy.

[Guylaine F. Roy]

Good morning.

[Jean Rioux]

Here we are in action central. Let’s talk about the relationship.

In your speaking notes, you wrote: “My term began shortly after the announcement of the most recent Action Plan for Official Languages, which saw the Government of Canada increase its cooperation with all of its partners…” We have to think that that is not working with Ontario, at least when it comes to the Université de l'Ontario français.

Could you tell me about the state of the relationship with the officials? I ask you that because, on February 7, 2019, we met with George Zegarac, deputy minister in Ontario’s Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, and we asked him if there had been any negotiations with the Government of Canada. His answer was that, as he saw it, there had been none. This morning, you are telling us that you have communicated with officials in Ontario. So how was that relationship? In terms of the offer, was the relationship in good faith? We must also remember an important thing that Mr. Zegarac told us, which was that there is a need for a francophone university in Toronto. He said that the ministry had studied the matter and that the need was real.

As we have seen, the minister made an offer so that the project could proceed. Is it your feeling that people were negotiating in good faith or that they were just listening to you, and nothing more?

[Guylaine F. Roy]

My assumption is always that all officials—the ones I work with, anyway—want to do good work and to serve their governments well. That is my premise. Just now, that gentleman said that the federal public service is one of the best.

We collaborate with everyone we work with, from provinces, territories or community organizations. At our end, we took the shot. We had a call for projects on the table and we let our colleagues know that an opportunity existed. Officials work for their government and reflect the decisions of that government. We reached out to them, we made some calls and we let them know that an opportunity existed. As they told you when they met you, I believe, they support their own government and the decisions were made by that government.

[Jean Rioux]

If I understand correctly, there was no openness on the part of the officials from the Government of Ontario when you were negotiating with them.

[Guylaine F. Roy]

I feel that the position of the officials reflected their government’s decision. The role of public servants is to support their government. They did not have the necessary authority to submit a funding request under the program.

[Jean Rioux]

If I understand correctly, there was no good faith negotiation, because there was no will to pursue this project, despite the offers made by the federal government.

[Guylaine F. Roy]

The offer was there, but I go back once more to the fact that the position of officials reflects their government’s decision. I feel that their position was clear.

[Jean Rioux]

Okay.

That's all from me, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Denis Paradis]

Mr. Choquette, you have the floor.

[François Choquette, NDP, Drummond, QC]

Mrs. Roy, thank you very much for joining us. I think that we are starting to see things more clearly.

In the good old Action Plan for Official Languages 2018-2023, have you allocated any funds in any column for the Université de l’Ontario français? Where is the money? Which category will that money come out of eventually?

[Guylaine F. Roy]

First, I want to make it clear that a proposal involving a post-secondary institution must come from the province.

[François Choquette, NDP, Drummond, QC]

I understand, but I would just like to know whether you have allocated or anticipated any funds in the action plan to support the Université de l'Ontario français. Yes or no.

It's a simple question.

[Guylaine F. Roy]

So here is a simple answer. The action plan includes programs that can support a project like the Université de l'Ontario français.

[François Choquette, NDP, Drummond, QC]

Which programs are those?

[Guylaine F. Roy]

There are programs that support communities and infrastructure. There are also programs that support programs.

We are able to support projects, but a project must be submitted by a province.

[François Choquette, NDP, Drummond, QC]

I understand that a province has to submit projects and I will get back to that later. But I would like to know whether, under Part VII of the act, you have considered using your spending authority to fund the Université de l'Ontario français. Has that possibility occurred to you? Have you analyzed it?

[Guylaine F. Roy]

When you say spending authority…

[François Choquette, NDP, Drummond, QC]

You have spending authority, under Part VII of the Official Languages Act.

Is that something you have analyzed? Can you check with your officials and provide the committee with your answer? I see that you do not know whether or not it has been done.

[Guylaine F. Roy]

Here is another simple answer. The amounts I mentioned are from funds for official languages. In Part VII, which you have mentioned, it says that the minister is responsible for supporting official language minority communities. Our support for the communities is reflected in the action plan. The plan includes a number of programs. If we were to receive a request from the Government of Ontario, we could consider it.

[François Choquette, NDP, Drummond, QC]

There was an article whose title translates as “Francophone university: Joly refutes comments from Ontario deputy ministers”. It says that officials—I do not know if it includes you specifically—were mandated to contact them each week, by telephone or by email.

Did you have a meeting last week?

[Guylaine F. Roy]

Let me go back to what I was saying once again.

In November, when we became aware of the Government of Ontario's decision, we had a call for proposals in place. The officials in my department that run the program immediately communicated with the officials from the Government of Ontario to tell them specifically that we had called for proposals and that they were ready to talk to them about it and consider an application.

[François Choquette, NDP, Drummond, QC]

Who is talking to whom?

[Guylaine F. Roy]

The managers of the official language programs.

[François Choquette, NDP, Drummond, QC]

So not a deputy minister.