Official Languages Committee on Nov. 29th, 2016

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

You talked about the tripartite committee, which includes communities, school boards and ministries. I served as chair on the tripartite committee a few years ago. There is no question that it was an extremely difficult task. However, it was also a great victory, which enabled us to work together, to create links, and so on. It was all really positive.

Let's move on now to the provinces. The tripartite committee exists at the national level, but at the provincial level, in which provinces are school boards not part of this tripartite entity?

I was involved in Nova Scotia, although some people didn't agree.

Could you name the provinces?

[Hubert Lussier]

Obviously, we're talking about a committee that involves provinces where there is education in French in a minority setting. Quebec is not part of it, by definition.

I don't remember—

[Jean-Pierre Gauthier]

We should check who is a member.

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

Who are they?

[Jean-Pierre Gauthier]

I could send you the list of current members.

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

I would appreciate it.

[Jean-Pierre Gauthier]

It could answer your question very specifically.

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

Thank you.

Mr. Tremblay, if I've understood correctly, reports from federal institutions do not mention official languages.

Is that correct?

You said this earlier.

[Marc Tremblay]

No. There are various reports, including the Annual Report on Official Languages from the Treasury Board President, which deals with official languages. With respect to reporting requirements for plans and priorities, departmental reports are not subject to specific language requirements, but refer to programs, initiatives, and expenditure outlines by federal institutions.

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

Mr. Tremblay, don't you think that it would be an advantage to add this category?

[Marc Tremblay]

You asked for my opinion as—

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

Yes.

[Marc Tremblay]

I have no opinion on that.

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

You don't have an opinion, but I'll give you mine.

[Some hon. members]

Ha, ha!

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

As Mr. Lussier mentioned earlier, if you work at Health Canada or another department, you don't necessarily think about official languages. However, if you, at the Treasury Board Secretariat, adopt this requirement, you will force people to meet their official languages obligations. You are the ones responsible for ensuring that it's done.

What a good way to proceed! No more status quo. A new change will apply tomorrow morning, and things may change.

Don't you think it would be beneficial for your department to have that information?

[Marc Tremblay]

I believe that the information we need to respond to the legal requirement to table an annual report on the implementation of parts IV, V and VI is sufficient. We have been able to sustain such a relationship for many years.

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

When we want to improve things, we do not just meet the requirements, but we try to exceed them to ensure greater success. If we want people in the departments to be more aware of these issues and request it in the reports, we will see an improvement. I suggest that you share it with your colleagues so that it can be done. I will also mention it to the minister.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Denis Paradis]

Thank you, Mr. Samson.

Mrs. Boucher, you have time to ask a question.

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

Yes, and I will ask the question that I asked earlier, Mr. Tremblay. It is simple.

I never demand anything, but I will now. I would like you to draw up a list for the committee—I don't want a 100-page list or anything—of the departments that are causing a problem with bilingualism and that you assign a percentage to how much they are not doing their job.

[Marc Tremblay]

The committee clerk already has this information. The annual reports and reviews by each department are sent to the clerk by the federal institutions concerned.

[The Chair, Liberal, Denis Paradis]

Mrs. Boucher, we will check this with the clerk.

We will now move on to Mr. Lefebvre, who will have three minutes.

[Paul Lefebvre, Liberal, Sudbury, ON]

Mr. Chair, there is something unique to the Standing Committee on Official Languages, especially on this side of the table. There is Mr. Boissonnault from Alberta, Mr. Vandal from Manitoba, Mr. Samson from Nova Scotia, Mr. Arseneault from New Brunswick, and me from Ontario. I don't know when the last time was that this committee had five people from five different provinces, and from minority communities.

There is some concern, but we also see that there is an opportunity here. In a few years, the Official Languages Act will be 50 years old. It was passed in 1969. We talked about the influence it had. I often say that I'm a product of the Official Languages Act. I don't think I could have done my bachelor's degree in law at the University of Ottawa in a minority situation had it not been for the Official Languages Act. The act encouraged the provinces to create such programs.

Fifty years after the Official Languages Act was adopted, this issue is still being addressed using an approach that involves influence, especially among the provinces. My colleague Mr. Samson said that perhaps we should change course and influence the provinces, especially with respect to education and immigration. This could be done through tripartite agreements. We all agree here that things can be improved, but they aren't moving forward the way they should.

We can continue to use influence. However, in the next action plan that we are working on and that will be in our next report, I suggest that we start looking at things from a different perspective, that is, through tripartite agreements between the federal government, the provinces and the communities.

[Jean-Pierre Gauthier]

As we said this afternoon, we are thinking about this issue and discussing it. We are advising the minister on how to position ourselves with us.

A tripartite agreement means that there is a third party. I'm talking about the provinces and territories, which have their say. This also needs to be clarified. Since mid-October or early November, we have consulted informally with provinces and territories, as well as with school boards. We are asking them questions to understand the situation.

Let me reassure you: we are really listening and thinking about all this.

[Paul Lefebvre, Liberal, Sudbury, ON]

That's excellent.

In some provinces, I repeat that there are people who want to learn French. The federal government, which promotes the Official Languages Act across the country, is not really involved, perhaps because it does not want to overstep its jurisdiction.

There are people in minority communities who want to learn French and have the right to do so, but we do not rush to give them this opportunity. This is a great opportunity. It's time now, 50 years after the adoption of the Official Languages Act, to move on to something else and ensure that everyone who wants to learn French across the country can do so.