Evidence of meeting #139 for Official Languages in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was communities.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Bernard Généreux Conservative Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC
I'm glad to hear it, neither am I.
General Director, Société Santé en français
If we look at the issue of linguistic duality, it's about language. If we amend the Official Languages Act, it could amend another law.
Conservative
Bernard Généreux Conservative Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC
The people we have heard to date, and those who might at some point interpret today's meeting, might think that because this was proposed for the health sector it could be done by other departments. They might also think that if they raised their hand and asked for a change in their department, they might be able to better apply the Official Languages Act.
How will the amendment to the Canada Health Act ensure a better application of the Official Languages Act?
You spoke about linguistic duality. I realize that linguistic duality is important, but it could be included in the part on linguistic duality in the amendment to be made to the act.
Do you believe that the Canada Health Act will still have to be amended if we do that?
General Director, Société Santé en français
The other option would be to include a binding clause on linguistic duality in the agreements between the federal government and provincial and territorial governments.
Conservative
Bernard Généreux Conservative Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC
In this context, we are referring specifically to the provinces, since health is a provincial jurisdiction.
Does this potentially make the application of the act more complex? Will it help the situation?
General Director, Société Santé en français
There are many recent examples.
There is the issue of early learning and child care, which is also a provincial jurisdiction, and the federal government was able to negotiate with the provinces on that issue. In Alberta, there was a language clause requiring a portion of the funds for early learning and child care to be allocated to services in French. There are other areas where this occurs, for example in education, even though this element is in the Constitution.
There are other areas of provincial jurisdiction where the federal government, as a result of its spending powers, goes ahead and asks for linguistic duality to be considered.
Conservative
Bernard Généreux Conservative Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC
That's all for me, Mr. Chair.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Alupa Clarke
Very well.
I would like to thank our two witnesses who gave their presentations in spite of the interruption for voting.
Mr. Tremblay, please continue your good work on the official languages in the health sector in order to help French-language communities in particular.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Alupa Clarke
Madame O'Donnell, thank you very much for your time and understanding throughout our session.
This is just a reminder for both of you that, if you have any documents you want us to take a look at or supplementary information, you can always send it to the clerk of the committee, and she will distribute it to us through email.
Thank you very much.
I will suspend now so we can go in camera, which is very important. We have 10 minutes of committee business to do.
The meeting is suspended.
[Proceedings continue in camera.]