Evidence of meeting #59 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 students.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Cynthia Baker  Executive Director, Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing
Pierre Godbout  Director, School of Nursing, Université de Moncton
Michelle Lalonde  Assistant Professor, School of Nursing, University of Ottawa
Suzie Durocher-Hendriks  Assistant Professor, School of Nursing, Edmundston Campus, Université de Moncton
Sylvie Larocque  Director, School of Nursing, Laurentian University
Brent Knowles  Director, Analytics and Research, College of Nurses of Ontario
Laurie Janes  Executive Director, Nurses Association of New Brunswick

12:10 p.m.

Assistant Professor, School of Nursing, Edmundston Campus, Université de Moncton

Suzie Durocher-Hendriks

We can have them translated and adapted.

I would like to mention that prior to this, with AIIC we had no problem regarding French-language resources.

12:10 p.m.

NDP

François Choquette NDP Drummond, QC

And why is there a problem now?

May 9th, 2017 / 12:10 p.m.

Assistant Professor, School of Nursing, Edmundston Campus, Université de Moncton

Suzie Durocher-Hendriks

It is because we gave permission to an entirely different company located outside of Canada to sell us its exam.

12:10 p.m.

NDP

François Choquette NDP Drummond, QC

I see.

12:10 p.m.

Director, School of Nursing, Laurentian University

Sylvie Larocque

In the past we had resources available in both languages to prepare our students for the exam. Now there are no resources in French.

12:10 p.m.

NDP

François Choquette NDP Drummond, QC

If we brought back the Canadian bilingual exam, this would solve the problem of the lack of resources in French at the same time, correct?

12:10 p.m.

Assistant Professor, School of Nursing, Edmundston Campus, Université de Moncton

12:10 p.m.

NDP

François Choquette NDP Drummond, QC

Well, that's brilliant.

I have a question about the $450 amount that francophones have to pay in order to take the test. Do anglophones pay the same fee?

12:10 p.m.

Assistant Professor, School of Nursing, Edmundston Campus, Université de Moncton

Suzie Durocher-Hendriks

Yes they do. It's a universal fee.

12:10 p.m.

NDP

François Choquette NDP Drummond, QC

Okay.

In short, returning to the Canadian bilingual exam seems to be the clear, specific solution.

You probably have already proposed this solution to the nurses' corporation. What was their answer?

12:10 p.m.

Assistant Professor, School of Nursing, Edmundston Campus, Université de Moncton

Suzie Durocher-Hendriks

Which organization are you referring to?

12:10 p.m.

NDP

François Choquette NDP Drummond, QC

I mean the organization that chose to adopt the American exam. Which organization was it?

12:10 p.m.

Assistant Professor, School of Nursing, Edmundston Campus, Université de Moncton

Suzie Durocher-Hendriks

In fact it was all of the professional corporations of each province that voted for the adoption of this type of exam to sanction access to the profession.

12:10 p.m.

NDP

François Choquette NDP Drummond, QC

I see.

What was the reason for that decision? Did the American exam cost much less? Would it cost much more to have a Canadian exam?

12:10 p.m.

Assistant Professor, School of Nursing, Edmundston Campus, Université de Moncton

12:10 p.m.

Director, School of Nursing, Université de Moncton

Pierre Godbout

It is a computer adaptive exam. It's done on a computer. It's modern technology. The technology as such is good, but the problem is the content of the exam.

12:10 p.m.

NDP

François Choquette NDP Drummond, QC

Do we have the capacity to do the same thing in Canada?

12:10 p.m.

Some hon. members

Yes.

12:10 p.m.

Assistant Professor, School of Nursing, Edmundston Campus, Université de Moncton

Suzie Durocher-Hendriks

I think we could do the same thing.

12:10 p.m.

NDP

François Choquette NDP Drummond, QC

Good, then that's clear.

12:10 p.m.

Director, School of Nursing, Université de Moncton

Pierre Godbout

In addition, less Canadian money would be going to Americans.

12:10 p.m.

NDP

François Choquette NDP Drummond, QC

It could fuel the Canadian economy.

12:10 p.m.

Assistant Professor, School of Nursing, Edmundston Campus, Université de Moncton

12:10 p.m.

Director, School of Nursing, Laurentian University

Sylvie Larocque

But in spite of everything, people tell us that there is nothing wrong with the American exam. They deny that there is any problem whatsoever with this exam.

12:10 p.m.

Executive Director, Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing

Dr. Cynthia Baker

We are often told that the francophones are the ones who have a problem.