Official Languages Committee on Sept. 20th, 2016

[The Chair, Liberal, Denis Paradis]

Thank you very much, Mr. Choquette.

Thank you all for your introductions.

We had set aside the morning to set up our schedule for the coming weeks, to know where we are going and what the key files are. You have in front of you a calendar for September, November and December. We will try to plan out our work as much as possible.

I have some important information to share first. There is a chance that the minister could appear before the committee in October with regard to the 2014-15 official languages annual report. The minister will also be meeting the Senate at that time. We don't have a date yet, but she might pay us a visit in October.

That is what I had to say. I will not interfere with your choice of priorities.

Today, we will begin planning our work. Mr. Choquette had asked me when there would be any public meetings or in camera meetings. As a rule, we always prefer public meetings, except when we decide together to go in camera. We decided to do that once last year, while discussing the committee's budgets. Our meetings are usually public. These are the rules of the game, unless you decide to change them as our work progresses.

In the past, we have discussed files that have greater priority than others. We have had a number of discussions about which files should take priority over others. I will now open up the discussion as to the order of business. Which business do you think should come first? Let us take this meeting to agree on the committee's future business and to decide what should have priority or not, and we will proceed from there.

Mr. Choquette, you have the floor.

[François Choquette, NDP, Drummond, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

As I recall, we had a motion from Mr. Samson regarding immigration. So perhaps we should check with Mr. Samson as to how he would like to proceed with this motion. How many meetings does he think it will take?

During this session, do we expect to travel or book trips for consultations on the future action plan?

I think we should also talk about Mr. Boissonnault's cross-country tour with Minister of Canadian Heritage Mélanie Joly, which also pertained to immigration. These are the two main topics. Aside from that, other topics might arise from time to time.

Earlier I submitted a motion to the clerk. It cannot be received at this time. I might tell you about it but I will get back to that after we discuss our schedule.

[The Chair, Liberal, Denis Paradis]

Thank you, Mr. Choquette.

Before I give the floor to Mrs. Boucher, I have something to say regarding your question about travel. I have been told that many committees will be travelling this fall. I understand that it will not be possible for the Standing Committee on Official Languages to leave Ottawa for now, this fall. It seems that too many committees will be travelling.

Please go ahead, Mrs. Boucher.

[Sylvie Boucher, Conservative, Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d’Orléans—Charlevoix, QC]

As you know, health services in French, in one's own language, are extremely important. As I have always said, if you are sick, you want to express yourself in your own language, whether you are bilingual or not. I think we will have to address this topic because there are problems everywhere.

So I think health should be one of our key priorities. When you are sick, you need all your energy and often you don't have the help of an interpreter to describe your ailment. So I think health should be one of the committee's priorities.

[The Chair, Liberal, Denis Paradis]

Mr. Arseneault, please go ahead.

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

I am new here so I will follow along with the discussion. I don't have anything to add right now.

[The Chair, Liberal, Denis Paradis]

Okay.

Mr. Vandal, please go ahead.

[Dan Vandal, Liberal, Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB]

Four or five months ago, I put forward a motion that was adopted. It pertained to the review of last two roadmaps, with a view to improving our next strategic plan on the official languages. I hope we can start on that soon because it is very important to the community I represent, Saint-Boniface—Saint-Vital. It is also very important to minority communities throughout Canada. I hope we can start work on these initial challenges.

[The Chair, Liberal, Denis Paradis]

Thank you.

Mr. Lefebvre, please go ahead.

[Paul Lefebvre, Liberal, Sudbury, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I would like to return to Mr. Choquette's comments. He said the parliamentary secretary and the minister travelled over the summer and that the roadmap has to be reviewed.

I would like the parliamentary secretary to tell us whether he would like the committee to present its report before Christmas. He will have to tell us because I don't want to miss out on this. I want to make sure that our recommendations are in the report and then in the roadmap.

I would like to know what schedule Mr. Boissonnault would suggest in order to comply with the decision made.

[The Chair, Liberal, Denis Paradis]

Mr. Boissonnault, please go ahead regarding the schedule.

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Edmonton Centre, AB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Lefebvre.

The question is not so much what I expect of you but rather whether you want to influence the process. Regarding the next action plan, there have already been consultations in 20 locations. Two more are scheduled, in Gatineau and Iqaluit. Then there will be a big roundtable. So work on developing the action plan will begin behind the scenes. I would really like parliamentarians and witnesses to have their say as well.

No later than the end of November or December 1, a report will have to be tabled about the last roadmaps and your thoughts on the subject. That includes the motion on immigration that Mr. Samson put forward and that Mr. Choquette mentioned earlier. This is an important topic that has been discussed across the country. This morning, we have already touched on immigration and the roadmap. If we could receive the reports on these topics, we could consider them while the action plan is being developed.

[The Chair, Liberal, Denis Paradis]

Mr. Lefebvre, please go ahead.

[Paul Lefebvre, Liberal, Sudbury, ON]

I would like to go back to what Mrs. Boucher said. Health is a topic that is included in the roadmap. There is funding for health. It would be advisable to look at that at the same time. Let us say until mid-November or the end of November for that. Then there will be a report. Regarding the roadmap, I don't want you to miss out. We have to review the whole thing.

As to the schedule, I recommend leaving some time to discuss the roadmap, which includes immigration, health and education. The cultural vitality of minority communities is another topic. These are the topics I would like us to consider up until Christmas.

[The Chair, Liberal, Denis Paradis]

You have the floor, Mr. Samson.

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

First, I would like to thank Mr. Choquette for not forgetting about me over the summer, well done.

I will answer his question about immigration, which is the topic the committee members had decided to focus on when we left off in June. The committee members had submitted names to the chair and to the clerk, Georges Etoka. Based on the witness list suggested by the committee, we had decided that four meetings, and then a fifth one to discuss the report, should be enough for us to meet our objective.

That said, we must remember that the report will provide some material for the roadmap, which will have to be discussed sooner or later, as mentioned. That certainly gives us a good overview.

Other topics have been suggested as well. I would be very happy for the committee to approve them. We will review the list, but I think four meetings and another one to review the report should be enough to meet our objective.

[The Chair, Liberal, Denis Paradis]

Thank you.

Before the next person speaks, perhaps the committee should thank our former clerk, Georges Etoka, for his work for our committee.

Would someone like to move that?

Mr. Généreux moves the motion, seconded by Mr. Lefebvre.

Motion adopted, thank you.

Mr. Généreux now has the floor.

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

We will recall that the president of Air Canada appeared before the committee last spring. As I recall, we really pushed to meet him soon after the Commissioner of Official Languages released his report.

How will the committee follow up on that? Should we make a recommendation? By the way, I think we tabled a motion for the government to act quickly to impose new official languages rules on Air Canada. Does the committee need to consider the case of Air Canada again this fall?

[The Chair, Liberal, Denis Paradis]

I will leave that up to the committee members. Today we want to come up with a schedule. If it fits into the schedule, I don't see a problem. This morning, we are trying to plan our work up to the holiday season. If we can fit that in somewhere, I don't see a problem.

I do not want to interfere or influence your choice of priorities. I think the committee members should decide on the priorities up to the holiday season.

By the way, you are right, this is an extremely important topic.

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

In any case, we have all made a tremendous effort, including yourself, Mr. Chair, to get the president of Air Canada to appear before the committee. He agreed. As I remember, the discussions were quite difficult. In his view, there was no problem or he did not think it would cause a lot of problems.

To close the loop, I think this topic should be a priority and then we can turn to the subject of immigration quickly and produce our reports on the new roadmap, which the minister needs. Of course, we also have to consider the roadmap quickly. That is clear.

[The Chair, Liberal, Denis Paradis]

Please go ahead, Ms. Lapointe.

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

I agree with you, Mr. Généreux.

Given the schedule suggested for the roadmap, we should look at immigration first and then the roadmap. That does not mean that we are dismissing what you said. Immigration to minority communities is an important issue though, as is the roadmap, which will help the government set its priorities. I think I would take that approach.

[The Chair, Liberal, Denis Paradis]

Does anyone else wish to add anything?

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

I would like to add that the Air Canada file will not take a great deal of time. I think the committee should make a recommendation to the government, if it has not already done so, I'm not sure. We could spend on meeting on it and if necessary hear from a few witnesses to conclude, wrap it up and move on to something else.

In my opinion, the committee's reputation is at stake. We have made considerable efforts. Let us not forget that that was the first time the president of Air Canada had appeared before the committee. He came reluctantly, to be sure. The committee has to be taken seriously. If we want it to be taken seriously, we have to complete this study very quickly, and we could do that as soon as this Thursday. We have to see where things stand with respect to Air Canada and then move on to the next thing.

[The Chair, Liberal, Denis Paradis]

I have some information to share about Air Canada. This summer, Air Canada officials contacted me to see if we need to hear from the president again this fall. It was certainly not to move forward on that.

I must tell you also that I was informed by the chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Official Languages that her committee will be considering the Air Canada file. I will keep you posted.

Please go ahead, Mr. Samson.