Evidence of meeting #2 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 topics.
A recording is available from Parliament.
3:50 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Denis Paradis
Fine.
So we have dealt with the Wednesday of this week and the Monday of the week of our return. Now we are talking about the Wednesday of that week. Correct?
3:50 p.m.
Liberal
Greg Fergus Liberal Hull—Aylmer, QC
Yes, it is up to the committee to choose the most appropriate dates, but we would like to proceed with this study as soon as possible.
3:50 p.m.
Liberal
Darrell Samson Liberal Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS
Mr. Chair, I would like to discuss this motion.
3:50 p.m.
Liberal
Darrell Samson Liberal Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS
I have no objection to the motion, and I am willing to support it.
However, I would like to point out that it is risky to immediately propose topics or motions when we have not had the opportunity of hearing the information people in the field are going to provide to us during the next two meetings.
I do not object to this motion, but if we intend to adopt several, I am not going to be comfortable. As I mentioned, there are still six important topics I would like us to discuss. Linda may have 15 or 16, I have no idea. I would not like to see us jump from one topic to another this early in the process.
I really liked that my colleague Mr. Fergus' motion asked the committee to choose the best dates for this discussion. It could well be the following Wednesday, since there will be two or three meetings. That could be interesting.
I am afraid that we will start to toss out topics without having developed a work plan for the next three or four years.
3:55 p.m.
Liberal
3:55 p.m.
NDP
François Choquette NDP Drummond, QC
I understand Mr. Samson's concerns. However, as I said, this study has been proposed by two members of the committee from two different parties. This shows that there is an interest in it, all the more so since the automated translation tool will be introduced April 1. Consequently, it is urgent that we turn our attention to the Translation Bureau. In addition, there will be other staff cuts in the months to come. This also points to the urgency of acting on this.
The government's mandate is to ensure that we offer a space where people can work in both official languages and communicate in their official language in a proper way, in a way that is correct and respectful toward francophones and anglophones. At this time, there seem to be some concerns. Because of this tool and other issues at the Translation Bureau, respect for that right could be beginning to deteriorate. If someone uses the automated translation tool to communicate, even for a brief text, the communication would not be done in correct and respectful French.
That is why I believe we should begin this study. Mr. Fergus has proposed that we hold a first meeting on this topic, and then three other ones. That would allow us to conduct a relatively brief study, without preventing us from subsequently studying other topics which Mr. Samson, Mr. Lefebvre, Ms. Lapointe or the other members of the committee may propose.
I want to repeat that I support Mr. Fergus' motion. I would like us to proceed with this study immediately after the one mentioned in Mr. Samson's motion, which I was very happy to support.
3:55 p.m.
Liberal
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
Bernard Généreux Conservative Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Everyone seems to have a lot of topics to suggest. To follow up on what Mr. Samson was saying, I would add that we have to lay some groundwork, so that we can have a good understanding of the issues we will be dealing with.
Also, I think that the government is going to want to specify, through its minister, what directions it intends to give to the Standing Committee on Official Languages, or, in fact, what work it might like it to do. I think it would be appropriate to consider that and to move a motion inviting the minister to appear.
I understand the feeling of urgency that has been expressed about the Translation Bureau. This is an important issue. Given this implementation date of April 1, certain steps could be taken. However, the government could change this orientation subsequently. As the expression has it, “we should not put the cart before the horse”.
It is important that the minister come and meet the committee quickly. If we begin various studies now, we run the risk of not being able to meet the minister before June. You are all going to realize that time flies by very quickly in Ottawa. In addition, committees do not necessarily sit every week. In the month of March, we will not be meeting often.
It has already been mentioned, but I move that we meet with the minister, Ms. Mélanie Joly, as quickly as possible.
3:55 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Denis Paradis
Could you hold off on your motion for the moment? The committee is already considering a motion. If I'm not mistaken, we were dealing with Greg Fergus' motion.
Yes, Mr. Vandal?
4 p.m.
Liberal
Dan Vandal Liberal Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB
I would like to clarify one point. It is about Mr. Bélanger's motion. Mr. Choquette supports that motion, but has he withdrawn his?
4 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Denis Paradis
Greg added the notion of dates to the motion. I think that the steering committee should choose the dates for this. We should, however, remember in our interventions the fact that April 1 is an important date.
If someone wants to move the motion, I am ready. We can ask the steering committee to choose the dates.
4 p.m.
Liberal
4 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Denis Paradis
If some of you would like to discuss topics they consider priorities, we can make a note of them, and we could revise that list in light of what the Commissioner of Official Languages, the deputy minister and the other stakeholders will have to say. We can revise that list or choose among the topics that will be proposed.
I heard recommendations concerning justice. As the former president of the Bar of Quebec, I am very responsive to that issue.
Yes, Mr. Choquette?
4 p.m.
NDP
François Choquette NDP Drummond, QC
Mr. Chair, I want to say that I am interested in the issue of access to justice in both official languages. That is very interesting. We will soon have the opportunity to meet with the Commissioner of Official Languages, Mr. Graham Fraser. He produced a report in 2013 on access to justice in both official languages. May I suggest that everyone read it, it is most interesting. The report concerns access to justice in the superior courts of Canada, in all of the provinces and territories.
The report follows up on recommendations that, to my knowledge, were not implemented subsequently. This could be an interesting topic of study. I understand that we are first of all going to meet with these stakeholders to prioritize our topics. However, we could examine the status of these recommendations on access to justice.
With your permission, Mr. Chair, I would like to add something else regarding the Commissioner of Official Languages. Mr. Fraser tabled recommendations with regard to his successor. As you know, he is coming to the end of his mandate and someone is going to have to take over. Of course, we do not know how the next Commissioner of Official Languages will be chosen. The commissioner tabled some recommendations himself. Last I heard, he had not received any response to those.
Mr. Fraser is the first Commissioner of Official Languages to have obtained this position following the posting of a vacancy. He was chosen among the various candidates. When Mr. Fraser comes before the committee, perhaps we could ask him about those recommendations. Perhaps they could be used in the selection of the next Commissioner of Official Languages.
4 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Denis Paradis
That is an excellent suggestion.
When Mr. Fraser is here, we can discuss it and see how he sees things.
Thank you.
Darrell, you have the floor.
4 p.m.
Liberal
Darrell Samson Liberal Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS
Mr. Chair, I believe we are discussing interesting potential topics of study for our work.
4 p.m.
Liberal
Darrell Samson Liberal Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS
In that case I would like to propose certain topics.
First, I would like to propose a study on collecting data on minority official language communities through the federal census. The committee could study that matter and produce a report recommending changes to be made to the census form so as to fill in some gaps. This is an extremely important topic. The data we will collect will tell us what the situation is on the ground, what the problems are, and what possible solutions we might consider.
My colleague Mr. Choquette mentioned access to justice in French. That is a topic that interests me as well. And so I want to join him in supporting that particular topic.
My third suggestion would be a study on francophone immigration outside Quebec. That is an extremely important topic. We really have to make sure that we have a strategy in place for locations such as Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador and Ontario. There are also the anglophones in Quebec, but what is of interest to me today is studying francophone immigrants outside Quebec.
My fourth suggestion concerns a study on the use of both official languages within the federal public service. This is related to the point Mr. Ferguson and Mr. Choquette just raised. I would propose that we study the possibility of increasing the bilingualism bonus, which has not been increased in decades. That might be one possible strategy we could examine.
In fifth place, may I propose a study on the Official Languages Act. As I mentioned earlier, it has not been reviewed in over thirty years. It is like any other project or any other initiative; at a certain point, we have to review everything, discard certain things, adopt certain orientations, adapt and keep an eye on the future. That is certainly an important element.
I would conclude by proposing the adoption of a French version of unilingual constitutional texts. We might even go and see what the situation is on the ground and let those observations inform our work.
Those are the six topics I propose, Mr. Chair. Two of them had already been raised by my colleagues on the committee.
We won't be lacking for work. We are going to have to make certain choices and I am sure you will be able to guide us in that task, Mr. Chair.
4:05 p.m.
Liberal
4:05 p.m.
Conservative
Bernard Généreux Conservative Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC
Over the past few months, there has been a massive arrival of Syrian immigrants in Canada. I think I can use the word “massive“, given their large numbers: 25,000. There were also other immigrants, of course. Those who are coming to our country currently are not all Syrian, but the majority of them are. I think it would be important to focus on the issue of immigration and official languages, in that context. From what I understand, many of them are neither francophone nor anglophone. According to the location they will settle in, in whatever province, they will be able to join the new cohorts of immigrants in official language minority communities. I think that we could study this matter. I don't mean that we need to do this in the short term, necessarily. We are proposing topics in bulk, if I understood correctly.
There is also the matter of immersion schools everywhere in Canada, that are overcrowded and have trouble integrating new students. These schools face all sorts of constraints. A lot of Canadians want to learn French, particularly in the rest of Canada, outside Quebec. Many parents want to register their children in immersion schools, but there are no available spaces. That is something we could examine, unless it has already been done. It is possible that that topic has already been examined. As I said, I have not sat on this committee for four years.
I know I am insisting a bit, but I'd like to raise the matter of the roadmap and its funding again. I hope we will learn a bit more about all of these topics next week, perhaps at the Wednesday meeting—I don't know what order we will follow. Perhaps the deputy minister will be able to provide some guidance on that.
Mr. Chair, you mentioned last week that the committee might travel to different places in the country to meet with people who are in official language minority communities. I am not against the idea of travelling, on the contrary. I think it would be beneficial for us to discover more of Canada and go and meet people in their milieux so as to gain a better understanding of the issues they face. Since I have been here before, I know that time passes very quickly in Ottawa. Consequently, it would be important to determine the schedule for these potential trips so as to coordinate them with all of our parliamentary activities and our obligations in our ridings.
4:10 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Denis Paradis
Those who would like us to study certain issues in a given region should mention it to me as quickly as possible so that we can draw up a list of priorities in committee, as well as the budgets.
Paul, you have the floor.