Official Languages Committee on Oct. 18th, 2016

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

Yes, thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Denis Paradis]

Mr. Choquette, you have the floor now.

[François Choquette, NDP, Drummond, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you very much for coming to testify before us today, Mrs. Groulx.

We have talked at length about the roadmap, but I would like to go right to the heart of the matter, immigration.

Earlier Mrs. Lanthier said that the Mobilité francophone program was good news. However, if I correctly understood, it is intended for skilled temporary workers only. That is why she thinks it is important to have a francophone lens in that program and in the express entry program. Those are the two existing programs.

How would guaranteeing francophone immigration to your province help you?

[Marie-Josée Groulx]

We have the nominee program at the provincial level. Under that program, the federal government allocates 625 basic nominations in addition to the 425 nominations under express entry. Those are provincial programs.

The federal government also has its immigration programs. In the provinces and the federal government, I think there are more than 200 different components designed to welcome immigrants to Canada. It goes without saying that it is a bit complicated.

The provinces have been saying since 2012 that express entry should include a francophone lens. However, every province also has its express entry component. We have included a francophone lens in it in New Brunswick. Consequently, there is priority processing. We omit certain selection criteria in order to encourage French-speaking immigrants to come in under express entry.

It is somewhat difficult for me to comment on what Mrs. Lanthier said. I agree with her that a francophone lens should be included in express entry, but, as I just said, every province has control over its express entry program and can create a francophone component if it so wishes.

[François Choquette, NDP, Drummond, QC]

So you have already gone ahead and said that the express entry program should have a francophone lens. You have already put that in place. Now all that remains is for the federal government to do it for the other provinces.

[Marie-Josée Groulx]

Correct.

[François Choquette, NDP, Drummond, QC]

From what I understand, you are achieving your francophone immigration target. You have even exceeded it, have you not?

[Marie-Josée Groulx]

Yes, last year.

[François Choquette, NDP, Drummond, QC]

Can you briefly explain the targets? I believe you are going to discuss them in your next presentation, but this would give us a general idea.

You have been achieving your targets since last year, but, before that, you did not.

[Marie-Josée Groulx]

As I mentioned, we did not have targets.

[François Choquette, NDP, Drummond, QC]

You did not have targets for the province?

[Marie-Josée Groulx]

There were no targets for the province.

[François Choquette, NDP, Drummond, QC]

However, there is nevertheless a national target of 4.4%.

[Marie-Josée Groulx]

The 4.4% target applies to the 270,000 immigrants that IRCC takes in every year. Since New Brunswick is small, we only have 625 certificates. We really are a small player, but this is significant for our community.

[François Choquette, NDP, Drummond, QC]

Your francophone community represents virtually one-third of the population of the province.

[Marie-Josée Groulx]

Yes, one-third of 750,000 inhabitants.

[François Choquette, NDP, Drummond, QC]

So your francophone immigration should be roughly equivalent to that percentage. Approximately one-third of immigrants to New Brunswick should be joining the francophone community, correct?

[Marie-Josée Groulx]

Yes, in theory.

[François Choquette, NDP, Drummond, QC]

All right. Is that the target that you have set for yourself?

[Marie-Josée Groulx]

It is the objective of achieving 33% francophone immigration by 2020.

[François Choquette, NDP, Drummond, QC]

By 2020. So you are getting there.

With regard to that objective, is the federal government aware you are the only officially bilingual province? Is it aware in the efforts it makes, or are you perceived as a province like all the others?

[Marie-Josée Groulx]

No, we have quite a privileged relationship with IRCC in that respect. We work very well with the federal government to achieve our targets. I can tell you we work a lot with Canada's foreign embassies in francophone markets. They are always there to support us in our efforts if we want to go and recruit on site.

Even though we are a drop of water in the large bucket of immigration across Canada, as I said, it works quite well in this regard and we are quite privileged.

[François Choquette, NDP, Drummond, QC]

In closing, I would like to discuss Destination Canada.

Earlier Ms. Lanthier said it was important to take part in Destination Canada in order to recruit francophone immigrants where they live and to ensure they understand the circumstances in which they will arrive. This is not necessarily a bilingual country from sea to sea. Communities are different from one province to the next, even though the country is officially bilingual.

What is the extent of your participation in this kind of event? How are you consulted as part of Destination Canada's activities?

[Marie-Josée Groulx]

We have taken part in Destination Canada every year since the event was introduced. I think this is the 13th edition this year. New Brunswick has always attended. In recent years, we have also chosen to support those of our communities that wanted to go to Destination Canada with us, and we offer them financial support for that purpose. It is still the best recruitment tool we have for attracting people to Canada.

Having said that, I want to make a comment. Francophone immigrants wishing to come and live in Canada are not necessarily motivated, first of all, by the idea of being able to speak French. They want to come to Canada because they want to learn English. We often tell them that the struggle for the survival of French is not their cause, that it is a situation specific to Canada. We really have to be careful here.

In giving my sales pitch, if I told people to mount the barricades and fight for language rights, that would not really be appealing. That is really not what interests them. They want to come here because they like North American culture or because they want their children to be bilingual. Those who want to live in a francophone setting will settle in Quebec. Those who want to live outside Quebec want to learn English. I often explain the situation to them. When they tell me they want to go and settle in Moncton, I ask them whether they speak English. They answer that they do not but that they will learn it when they get there. I tell them that will not work because they will not be able to find a job.

We have to take into consideration this idea that they want to come and work in Canada to learn English. It does not work like that. First of all, if they are unable to sell themselves to an employer, they will not find a job. That is the challenge.

Consequently, the task is mainly to go and recruit people who are already bilingual, who already speak English and French from the outset, and to bring them to Canada and not necessarily to focus solely on people who only speak French. Otherwise they will find it hard to fit into most communities.

[The Chair, Liberal, Denis Paradis]

Thank you, Ms. Groulx.

Ms. Lapointe, you have six minutes, but you may share your speaking time with Mr. Arseneault, if he has any further questions. You may do as you wish.