I don't have their names.
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.
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.
12:20 p.m.
Nominee for the position of Commissioner of Official Languages, As an Individual
I don't have their names.
12:20 p.m.
Nominee for the position of Commissioner of Official Languages, As an Individual
One of them was Mr. Martin Bouchard.
12:20 p.m.
Nominee for the position of Commissioner of Official Languages, As an Individual
Yes.
12:20 p.m.
NDP
Thomas Mulcair NDP Outremont, QC
Mr. Bouchard is from the Prime Minister's Office. We spoke about him. You said that he was on the selection committee and that you had talked to him.
Who is the other person, the one from Canadian Heritage?
12:20 p.m.
Nominee for the position of Commissioner of Official Languages, As an Individual
I don't know his name.
12:20 p.m.
NDP
Thomas Mulcair NDP Outremont, QC
You have no record of those who were members of the selection committee?
You did not write that down somewhere?
12:20 p.m.
Nominee for the position of Commissioner of Official Languages, As an Individual
No, I don't know the names of the persons who were present. I know there were three deputy ministers.
12:20 p.m.
Nominee for the position of Commissioner of Official Languages, As an Individual
I think there were also people from the Privy Council.
12:20 p.m.
NDP
Thomas Mulcair NDP Outremont, QC
Did anyone explain why the Department of Justice advised you that your name had been chosen as a candidate for this important position?
12:20 p.m.
Nominee for the position of Commissioner of Official Languages, As an Individual
I was not given an explanation, but I was told that two ministers had to recommend the candidate for the position.
12:20 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Denis Paradis
Thank you very much.
I now give the floor to Mr. Lefebvre for three minutes.
12:20 p.m.
Liberal
Paul Lefebvre Liberal Sudbury, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
It is being implied here that there is some partisanship in official languages. I would like to see the roadmap you spoke of that goes back to the time when you were the Minister of Francophone Affairs of Ontario.
Did you contribute to making the role of the commissioner independent?
12:20 p.m.
Nominee for the position of Commissioner of Official Languages, As an Individual
Quite so. I wanted that position to be created, and I knew that as long as I was there, the commissioner would have all the independence he needed.
12:20 p.m.
Nominee for the position of Commissioner of Official Languages, As an Individual
At the second stage, I did indeed have to fight. However, the battle was a little easier because people had been able to see, based on the commissioner's experience and the relationship we had, that he had all the independence he needed.
12:20 p.m.
Liberal
Paul Lefebvre Liberal Sudbury, ON
Very well.
Did you have a role to play in the independence of TFO?
12:20 p.m.
Nominee for the position of Commissioner of Official Languages, As an Individual
Yes, I did.
12:20 p.m.
Nominee for the position of Commissioner of Official Languages, As an Individual
TFO was affiliated with TVO, and francophones were not really being served well.
12:20 p.m.
Nominee for the position of Commissioner of Official Languages, As an Individual
Yes. We thought that the funds...