Official Languages Committee on Oct. 18th, 2016

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I simply want to make sure I correctly understood. So I am going to continue in the same vein as my colleague Mr. Généreux.

Federal funding was cut by 60% between the first and second roadmaps, and that is why the province is now left more or less to its own devices. From what I understand, that may not at all be enough for it to reach its francophone immigration targets. Is that correct?

[Marie-Josée Groulx]

Honestly, we have hit our targets. We cannot complain about that. It is simply that we have to make choices, whether to support one centre or another in delivering French-language services, and to determine whether there is a shortfall.

I tip my hat to our settlement centres, which have been encouraged to diversify their funding sources. Many non-profit agencies tend to go to banks for financing. We have encouraged them to look for other funding sources, but that is not always possible.

We have centres that are finding it hard to meet the demand. We offer them funding and a basic increase, to the extent that is possible. Consequently, we always have to go back to the government to request additional funding.

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

I see.

Just to make sure I understand correctly, what are New Brunswick's francophone immigration targets?

[Marie-Josée Groulx]

That was the next part of my presentation.

Our objective is for 33% of our immigrants to be economic immigrants by 2020. The target for 2015 was 17%, and we achieved 19%. The target for 2016 is 20%. Since our targets are based on schedules for the year, I cannot predict what will happen.

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

I have a question for you.

I come from northern New Brunswick, more specifically from the riding of Madawaska—Restigouche. There are still nine settlement centres, but there previously were 12. Is that correct?

[Marie-Josée Groulx]

No. There are 13 in the province as a whole, but nine of them provide services in French or in both official languages.

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

I see.

How many are there in the northern part of the province?

[Marie-Josée Groulx]

There are centres in Edmunston, Restigouche, Bathurst, and on the Acadian Peninsula.

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

Are they multicultural centres?

[Marie-Josée Groulx]

Yes.

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

That is what I thought.

Even though New Brunswick is a microcosm of Canada from the standpoint of the percentage of francophones, its rural areas are largely francophone, which is not the case elsewhere in Canada. However, it is quite linguistically homogeneous. Consequently—and correct me if I am wrong—even if we francophones are a minority in the province, we are not in the minority in our region.

[Marie-Josée Groulx]

Not at all.

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

Which results in a dynamic somewhat contrary to what one sees in Canada.

I am going to ask you a $150 question, since the cost of living has risen.

With regard to francophone immigration in New Brunswick, what is the first aspect of the roadmap that should be altered or improved? I am aware I am addressing the immigration question here, but it is a very important question.

[Marie-Josée Groulx]

Yes, indeed.

Perhaps the budgets should be rebalanced. I admit we do not expect funding will necessarily as high as under the first roadmap. Furthermore, we have nevertheless managed to offset the shortfall in part.

However, it is important that the regions be able to provide high-quality settlement services and that that funding—

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

Pardon me for interrupting, but I do not have a lot of time.

Have you observed a difference in your results between the first and second roadmaps—

[Marie-Josée Groulx]

Yes, but that was initially—

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

—considering the 60% cut in federal funding?

[Marie-Josée Groulx]

You have to understand that we did a lot of catching up under the first roadmap. There were not really any francophone settlement centres. Under the second roadmap, we in a way built on what we had achieved under the first. We owe our present gains in large part to the first roadmap.

The situation is a bit difficult. The immigration cycle, which runs from contact with an immigrant until the moment he or she arrives in Canada, takes approximately two years, even two and a half years. What happened in previous years thus has a direct impact on our current figures.

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

You could achieve your targets even before 2020 with more funding, could you not?

[Marie-Josée Groulx]

Yes, but, as Mrs. Lanthier mentioned earlier, that would also help the multicultural centres or the minority communities take part in international promotional and recruitment activities to promote themselves. It is just that there is currently less flexibility for funding reasons.

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

Mrs. Groulx, could you tell us exactly how much you would need in New Brunswick?

Please feel free to be precise on the subject.

[Marie-Josée Groulx]

I would prefer not to say. I do not think that is my role.

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

All right, but let us take the example of the $2 million a year over five years and the 60% cut that you have experienced. Suppose we start over again next year. What would you say?

[Marie-Josée Groulx]

Yes, let us say that would involve $1.5 million a year and an expanded mandate for the multicultural centres, as you called them. However, qualified international students and temporary workers would have to be able to use IRCC-funded services.

[The Chair, Liberal, Denis Paradis]

Is that all right, Mr. Arseneault?