Evidence of meeting #62 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 ontario.
A video is available from Parliament.
NDP
Nominee for the position of Commissioner of Official Languages, As an Individual
It should.
NDP
Thomas Mulcair NDP Outremont, QC
Yes? That is interesting.
I want to go back to the remarks you made earlier in an attempt to justify your own appointment. Let me say at the outset that our objection to your appointment is because of the formalities. It is based on the institutions, but has nothing to do with your personal qualities.
Nominee for the position of Commissioner of Official Languages, As an Individual
I understand that.
NDP
Thomas Mulcair NDP Outremont, QC
You used the appointment of Victor Goldbloom to the position of commissioner as an argument in your favour. Just for the record, I have been deeply involved in official languages for 35 years. I sat on the Commission of Appeals on Language of Instruction; I was a lawyer with the Conseil supérieur de la langue française; I was the director of legal affairs at Alliance Québec, where I had the pleasure of working on matters of access to and oversight of francophone school boards; I advised Claude Ryan on the Charter of the French Language; and I was in charge of revising the translation of all the statutes of Manitoba as the result of a Supreme Court decision. I know the field very well.
In my opinion, it is of prime importance that the person in this position not be partisan. You tried to use the appointment of Victor Goldbloom to your advantage, but may I suggest to you that the example is not valid. Victor Goldbloom was appointed by Brian Mulroney. A Conservative appointed a former provincial Liberal minister. You see the difference. It was the antithesis of partisanship; it was a non-partisan appointment because two different parties were involved. In Victor Goldbloom, who was certainly an excellent commissioner of official languages, everyone could see someone who was not tied to the government that had just appointed him. Do you understand the difference between your situation and Victor Goldbloom’s?
Nominee for the position of Commissioner of Official Languages, As an Individual
Yes, I understand the difference.
NDP
Thomas Mulcair NDP Outremont, QC
So why do you not understand the importance of not accepting the underlying argument?
Let me quote Rémi Léger, a professor from British Columbia. You are smiling; are you familiar with the text?
Nominee for the position of Commissioner of Official Languages, As an Individual
No, I am not familiar with the text.
NDP
Thomas Mulcair NDP Outremont, QC
I'll quote the text that he has just published: “However, partisanship has no place in the positions of senior officers of Parliament. Their responsibilities require them to rise above political posturing.” I would like to digress for a moment to say that your colleagues who are constantly reporting what you said when you left your position as minister have only politician's quotes to offer.
Mr. Léger goes on to say, “In the case we're interested in [yours], a partisan appointment contributes to greater politicization of official languages at a time when their defence needs to be based on a vision and principles.” That is our position as well.
We think it is a monumental mistake by Prime Minister Trudeau to choose someone from his own party but, more than that, someone who contributed to his own leadership race and who contributed to the federal Liberal Party. You don't have the distance necessary to judge the actions of this same Justin Trudeau, this same Prime Minister. You don't have the critical distance required for this job.
Is realizing this making you hesitate today? You're trying to cite cases that have no relationship in order to justify your appointment, because it is highly partisan. You're too stuck to the Liberals. The way we see it, Mr. Trudeau made a mistake.
Nominee for the position of Commissioner of Official Languages, As an Individual
I understand your concerns.
The position was open, and I applied. I went through a very rigorous process. I strongly believe that I have the competencies for this position. I know that I will be impartial in carrying out my duties, if I have the privilege of being appointed. If so, I would like to be judged by my behaviour and achievements, and not by the political party I represented for almost a year before taking the job.
NDP
Thomas Mulcair NDP Outremont, QC
Have you expressed your interest in becoming a senator or commissioner to anyone in the Liberal Party? If so, who was it and when did you two speak?
Nominee for the position of Commissioner of Official Languages, As an Individual
Yes, as you know, I applied to become a senator.
NDP
Thomas Mulcair NDP Outremont, QC
Who in the Liberal Party did you speak to about wanting to become a senator or commissioner?
Nominee for the position of Commissioner of Official Languages, As an Individual
I spoke to Gerald Butts.
Nominee for the position of Commissioner of Official Languages, As an Individual
I know him well because he worked for Mr. McGuinty, in Toronto, and I worked with him.
Nominee for the position of Commissioner of Official Languages, As an Individual
Yes.
Nominee for the position of Commissioner of Official Languages, As an Individual
I expressed my interest and was told that now there was a process—
Nominee for the position of Commissioner of Official Languages, As an Individual
—an open and transparent process.
Nominee for the position of Commissioner of Official Languages, As an Individual
I was told that I had to go through the process. That's what I did. As I said earlier, I can't erase 13 years of active political life.
Nominee for the position of Commissioner of Official Languages, As an Individual
Very well.