Official Languages Committee on May 30th, 2016

[Scott Brison, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

I will ask Mr. Tremblay to answer the question.

[Marc Tremblay, Executive Director, Official Languages Centre of Excellence, Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer, Treasury Board Secretariat]

A study was announced in response to the assessment of the latest roadmap. In fact, the roadmap recommended that the Department of Canadian Heritage conduct a study to review governance. During the assessment, it became apparent that some public servants and individuals asked to comment on the roadmap were wondering who was making the decisions, on what issues and when. The Department of Canadian Heritage is carrying out the study, and the Treasury Board Secretariat participated in a task force's discussions. Information on the issue was identified, and a draft report is currently being studied by the Committee of Assistant Deputy Ministers on Official Languages.

[François Choquette, NDP, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Tremblay, can you tell us with whom this committee has met and what has been done? We will consider the roadmap, but since a worthwhile study has already been carried out on governance, we would like to know more about it. Can you tell the committee about that study?

[Marc Tremblay]

Since I did not conduct the study myself, it is difficult for me to answer in a comprehensive way. The Department of Canadian Heritage carried out the study. I can tell you that we participated in it. We consulted the stakeholders in charge of parts IV, V and VI the President of the Treasury Board referred to. So there are people responsible for official languages in the departments, and there are official language champions. Consultations took place and we participated in them, but that was only one part of the work done by the Department of Canadian Heritage.

[François Choquette, NDP, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Brison, I wrote to the Honourable Judy Foote concerning what is now being called a “comprehension tool”. It is a good name and that's what it should have been called from the beginning. I asked her to reverse her decision about putting this tool in place, until the committee has completed its report on the subject. In fact, I sent you a copy of my letter.

We learned one or two weeks ago that the Portage tool had been made available although the committee is still working on its report on the matter. What are your thoughts about that?

[Scott Brison, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

As I mentioned, public servants frequently use various translation tools, among them the one you are speaking about. When they use Google Translate, which is often, the quality is not guaranteed. Nor has government vocabulary been integrated into that tool. I think it is better to have a comprehension tool, and that it is very important to have access to one.

We are waiting on the committee's report and we will consider its recommendations. In the meantime, it is very important to continue to provide public servants with a tool that will help them. In fact, translation bureau translators use different tools, and technology, every day in their work. So it makes sense to me to continue to offer them a tool like the comprehension tool until we have received your report.

A million times per week across the federal public service public servants use a technology for translation or comprehension. Within the translation bureau the translators use these.

We have made changes, as have Ms. Foote's department, in terms of encouraging the use of the tool more for comprehension than translation of external messages. But are you suggesting we stop providing any of these tools so that everybody uses Google Translate? I don't think that would make very—

[François Choquette, NDP, Drummond, QC]

What I was asking.... I know that I don't have time, but I'll just answer you because you're asking me a question.

[Scott Brison, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

Yes, that's fine.

[François Choquette, NDP, Drummond, QC]

I was just asking you, Mr. Minister, if you should not have waited until the end of the report.

[The Chair, Liberal, Denis Paradis]

Mr. Choquette, your time is up.

[Scott Brison, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

Mr. Choquette, believe me, we are waiting for your committee's report and we are going to consider your recommendations. However, in the meantime, public servants must be able to use a comprehension tool. I respect the decision of my colleague the Minister of Public Services and Procurement. At the time, it was the Department of Public Works and Government Services.

In short, I think it makes sense to use that tool.

[The Chair, Liberal, Denis Paradis]

Thank you very much.

Mr. Samson, you have the floor.

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

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

Minister, I thank you and your colleagues for being here with the committee today.

Like you, I am a Nova Scotia MP. I am extremely pleased that you are here and that you occupy a very important position in our government.

Before asking my questions, I would like to say a few things.

First, as opposed to you, I lived in a bilingual environment and was exposed to both official languages. You are in a similar situation today, and I congratulate you. Your two children Claire and Rose can go to French schools in Nova Scotia or here in Ottawa. As you know, students obtain excellent results in French schools, and we are very happy about that. Over the past 10 years in the province, there has been a 22% increase in the student population of the Conseil scolaire acadien provincial, and a 15% decrease in English-language school boards. You are certainly welcome, and we welcome you with open arms.

Secondly, I find it a bit ironic that my colleagues across the way, the Conservatives, are troubled by the fact that there will be fewer positions over the next two years in the translation bureau, when they eliminated 400 over the past three or four years. That is what caused the problem that exists today, in large measure. To be honest with you, that saddens me.

To conclude, may I say that there is no doubt at all that the translation tool is only a comprehension tool. It is not an official tool, as you just mentioned. It is simply a work tool.

My question is very important, Minister. As you know, Senator Maria Chaput introduced Bill S-209, which is now being sponsored by Senator Claudette Tardif. What is your opinion on that? Could some measures in the bill be implemented by Treasury Board, even though the bill will not be studied by both Houses? It would be very important to know whether Treasury Board could implement certain elements of the bill through regulations or other measures.

[Scott Brison, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

Thank you very much for your question.

It should be said that the current regulations were put in place in 1991. There have been significant changes since that time. As I said recently to Senator Tardif, I am open to changes that would lead to modernizing the regulations and to reaching some of the objectives of Bill S-209. We can make a lot of progress by changing the regulations. This afternoon, I am going to meet with the Senate committee to discuss this same topic.

A lot of things have changed since 1991, such as technology, for instance. In my opinion it is clear that we must update the regulations. I would very much appreciate the committee's contributions to this.

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

Thank you very much. It is very important for us to go forward quickly—I am thinking of immigration and refugees, particularly—in order to see to it that French-speaking immigrants can live in a francophone environment.

My second question concerns the bilingualism of Supreme Court judges. In his report, Commissioner of Official Languages Graham Fraser recommends that the judges of the Supreme Court be bilingual. This is one of your responsibilities in terms of services.

Could you enlighten us on this matter?

[Scott Brison, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

Our government is going to honour its promise to appoint bilingual judges to the Supreme Court. We believe that Canadians should be able to be heard in the official language of their choice. This is very important for Canadians and for our government.

We have also committed to ensuring greater diversity in our judicial system. We are going to work with all parties in the House and all stakeholders to make the Supreme Court appointment process more transparent, inclusive and responsible.

[The Chair, Liberal, Denis Paradis]

Thank you very much.

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

Mr. Chair, I will conclude by congratulating the minister again on the quality of his French, which continues to improve. Bravo!

[Scott Brison, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

Honestly, I don't feel entirely confident in French, and that is always...

[The Chair, Liberal, Denis Paradis]

It's going very well.

[Scott Brison, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

I really appreciate your patience with me.

My spouse is not patient. He refuses to speak French with me. Every now and then he says “Be quiet, I'm not Berlitz!” According to him, I speak too slowly. And then I answer: “Don't be mean, I'm sensitive.”

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Chair, Liberal, Denis Paradis]

Thank you very much.

Ms. Lapointe, you have the floor.

[Linda Lapointe, Liberal, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

Thank you very much for being here with us.

[Scott Brison, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

Mr. Samson, you are kinder than my husband.