Evidence of meeting #21 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 immigration.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Clerk of the Committee  Ms. Christine Holke
Lucie Lecomte  Committee Researcher

10:15 a.m.

Conservative

Joël Godin Conservative Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC

How much time are you calculating to draft the report?

10:15 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Denis Paradis

We have set aside three meetings for the report.

Remember that it also has to be revised, printed and tabled.

10:15 a.m.

Conservative

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

Ms. Lecomte will be working hard.

10:15 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Denis Paradis

If I'm calculating correctly, we might have 10 two-hour meetings for a total of about 20 hours.

10:15 a.m.

Conservative

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

In that case, we need to reduce the number of witnesses.

10:15 a.m.

Conservative

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

We won't have a choice.

10:15 a.m.

Liberal

Darrell Samson Liberal Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS

We also need to determine whether the testimonies will last 30 minutes or an hour.

10:15 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Denis Paradis

Exactly.

We can go back to the topics one by one, if you wish.

First, there's immigration in general.

10:15 a.m.

Liberal

Darrell Samson Liberal Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS

That's already been settled. We'll have one hour to discuss it in general on Monday, and two hours to discuss immigration in minority communities. Then it will be done.

10:15 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Denis Paradis

So there will be three hours for that issue.

Let's move on to the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages.

10:15 a.m.

Conservative

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

Personally, I would drop it.

10:15 a.m.

Conservative

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

Yes.

10:15 a.m.

An hon. member

Me, too.

10:15 a.m.

Liberal

Darrell Samson Liberal Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS

But perhaps the analysts—

10:15 a.m.

Conservative

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

We can set it aside.

10:15 a.m.

Conservative

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

Precisely.

10:15 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Denis Paradis

Right.

There's also Canadian Heritage.

10:15 a.m.

An hon. member

As far as I'm concerned, I'd drop it.

10:15 a.m.

Some hon. members

Me, too.

10:15 a.m.

Liberal

Darrell Samson Liberal Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS

Perhaps we should invite some representatives from the department because we can't let the department off the hook. It might take about 30 minutes to talk about francophone immigration in official language minority communities. We could check whether the department is involved in this area and to what extent.

10:15 a.m.

Liberal

Paul Lefebvre Liberal Sudbury, ON

Let's see what the people from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada say. Perhaps they will explain what Canadian Heritage is doing or not doing in this area.

10:15 a.m.

Conservative

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

We could simply ask Mr. Boissonnault.

10:20 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Denis Paradis

He's not there.

10:20 a.m.

Conservative

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

He's not there right now, true, but he is the parliamentary secretary. He will agree to meet with us. We could ask him questions for 30 minutes. He could tell us what the situation is.

10:20 a.m.

Conservative

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

Let's set this aside.