Official Languages Committee on Sept. 20th, 2016

[The Chair, Liberal, Denis Paradis]

Are we giving an hour for both organizations?

[Paul Lefebvre, Liberal, Sudbury, ON]

I suggest we hear from at least one organization per province. Perhaps we could hear from a second one, but we should designate one a priority.

[The Chair, Liberal, Denis Paradis]

Ms. Boucher, you have the floor.

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

I agree with this, but I would give priority to the government. In fact, it's the provincial government that makes decisions about immigration. The organizations provide assistance to immigrants, but it's the government, first and foremost, that puts the process in place. I think we should give priority to the provincial governments because it's essentially these governments that we're dealing with.

[The Chair, Liberal, Denis Paradis]

So are we giving one hour to the Government of New Brunswick?

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

Yes.

[The Chair, Liberal, Denis Paradis]

We'll wait on the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages of New Brunswick.

Now we're on to the Association canadienne-française de l'Alberta.

Mr. Boissonnault, you have the floor.

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Edmonton Centre, AB]

I think the people from the Association canadienne-française de l'Alberta and the Centre d'accueil et d'établissement du Nord de l'Alberta could appear together.

The ACFA is the voice for the entire province, but the immigrant welcome centre is in a better position to provide us with information.

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

Actually, the ACFA is the only organization on the list for Alberta.

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Edmonton Centre, AB]

I would like to draw your attention to the fact that, just like Mrs. Boucher before the end of the last session, I submitted a list of eight organizations, but they do not appear in this list. My list included organizations, not just from Alberta, but from western Canada as a whole.

[The Chair, Liberal, Denis Paradis]

That is the list prepared by Georges Etoka, the former clerk of the committee.

Mr. Boissonnault, could you submit your list again?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Edmonton Centre, AB]

With pleasure.

[The Chair, Liberal, Denis Paradis]

Thank you. We will give everything to the clerk so that she can include those organizations in the list.

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

It seemed to me that there were more Alberta organizations, too.

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Edmonton Centre, AB]

There were more, in fact, because there are now more francophones in Alberta than in Manitoba. I apologize to you for saying that, Mr. Vandal. After Ontario, Alberta is third among Canadian provinces in terms of the number of francophones.

[The Chair, Liberal, Denis Paradis]

Do we set aside an hour for Alberta?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Liberal, Denis Paradis]

Let's now move to Manitoba.

[Some hon. members]

Let's leave that to one side.

[The Chair, Liberal, Denis Paradis]

Okay.

On the next page, we have organizations from Quebec.

Do we give an hour to the ministère de l'lmmigration, de la Diversité et de l'lnclusion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

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

Maybe 30 minutes?

[The Chair, Liberal, Denis Paradis]

We'll see.

We are now on British Columbia.

Do we give an hour to the Fédération des francophones de la Colombie-Britannique?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[Lucie Lecomte]

Did you jump over the other organizations?