Official Languages Committee on Nov. 30th, 2017

[The Chair, Liberal, Denis Paradis]

Pursuant to Standing Order 108(3), we are continuing our study on access to early childhood services in the minority language.

Today, we have the pleasure of welcoming Minister Jean-Yves Duclos.

Welcome, Minister.

We are also hearing from Doug Murphy, special advisor at the Department of Employment and Social Development.

I want to remind everyone that today's meeting is televised.

The minister will have about 10 minutes to make his presentation. We will then go around the table, so that committee members can ask questions, hear answers and make comments.

Minister, we are very happy to have you with us.

Go ahead.

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Minister of Families]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Chair and committee members, I am very pleased to be appearing today. I am joined by Doug Murphy, one of the department's senior officials. He will make sure to provide you with the right answers to the excellent questions I'm sure you will want to ask in a little while.

This is my first appearance before the Standing Committee on Official Languages. I have been looking forward to this invitation for a long time. I know that the standards for an invitation are very high, so I have been working very hard over the past few months to meet them. I am very pleased that I have finally been given the opportunity to join you today to discuss the very important issue of early learning and child care in the country.

As Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, this cause is particularly close to my heart. I am happy to see such a nice alliance when it comes to all the important work you have been doing for several weeks.

Early learning and child care are at the heart of the government's commitment to working on ensuring a prosperous and just future for all our children. This is mainly why, in our last two budgets—those for 2016 and 2017—we jointly proposed to invest $7.5 billion over 11 years beginning in 2017-2018 to help our children get the best possible start in life.

We believe that, by creating and supporting affordable, high-quality child care services across the country, especially for the families that need it most, we are investing in our most precious resource—our children.

In June, for the first time in Canada's history, the federal, provincial and territorial ministers responsible for early learning and child care reached an agreement on a multilateral early learning and child care framework.

This framework sets the foundation for governments to work toward a shared long-term vision where all children across Canada can experience quality, inclusive, simple and affordable early learning and child care.

The framework also supports the development of early learning and child care systems that respect our great country's different languages and cultures, and in particular, recognize the needs of English and French linguistic minority communities in Canada.

Child literacy and learning have a major effect on the development and survival of our official language communities, especially those in minority situations.

The importance of official languages is enshrined in the multilateral framework signed in June.

The framework also provides the flexibility required to enable us to take into account the specific needs of each province and territory with which we have a bilateral agreement or are about to conclude one.

These agreements set out the specific early learning and child care needs to be addressed, as well as the allocation of funds for each province and territory.

Under these bilateral agreements, which are being signed or have already been signed, the government of Canada will allocate $1.2 billion to the provinces and territories over the next three years.

So far, bilateral agreements have been signed with Ontario, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick and Nunavut, and we are in active negotiations with the remaining provinces and territories.

In addition, an indigenous early learning and child care framework is being co-developed in collaboration with our indigenous partners, with full respect for them, to address the needs and priorities of Inuit, Métis and first nations children and families.

A number of key themes have emerged from this engagement with our indigenous peoples, including the critical importance of indigenous cultures and languages in the design and content of early childhood programs.

Strengthened early learning and child care opportunities also support self-determination, reconciliation and cultural revitalization for our indigenous peoples.

So I look forward to finalizing the framework with our indigenous partners in the coming months.

Our official languages approach is also consistent with the overall vision of our government; it is unifying and engaging.

Our government has promised to develop a brand new multi-year action plan on official languages, spanning five years, starting from 2018 and lasting until 2023. That plan will be a renewed vision for official languages, aimed at supporting official language minority communities across our vast country.

To develop this plan in an informed and thoughtful way, we held consultations across the country from June through December of 2016. These consultations took place not only with numerous official languages stakeholders and experts, but also with many Canadians, with the aim of launching the plan by the end of 2017-2018. We wanted to broaden our perspective to better establish our priorities and to invest wisely in our new action plan.

Dear colleagues, know that our government fully intends to propose this new action plan to Canadians by the end of 2017-2018.

At the same time, our government recognizes the importance of providing Canadians with employment training and support programs, in both official languages. The labour market development agreements we are signing with the provinces and territories also help employment insurance claimants and Canadians looking for work access employment training and support in the official language of their choice.

In closing, I would like to remind you that by working hand-in-hand with all our partners—provinces, territories, municipalities and our indigenous peoples—we will be able to find and implement solutions to improve an important part of our wealth—our linguistic duality—and make our greater diversity a source of strength and pride.

Mr. Chair, this concludes my presentation. I will gladly answer any questions or hear any comments you may have.

[The Chair, Liberal, Denis Paradis]

Thank you very much, Minister.

We will go to questions and comments right away.

Mr. Généreux, go ahead.

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Duclos, thank you very much for being here. I also want to thank you, Mr. Murphy.

Mr. Duclos, I think you will find some pretty clear consensus around this table on the importance of taking an interest in early childhood in the context of official language learning in the country, especially in official language minority communities. Everyone undoubtedly agrees that investments must be made in this area.

We have listened carefully to all the testimony before the committee and have analyzed the situation. We have met with a number of witnesses, particularly from community groups, who have repeatedly told us that learning a language from a very young age was a determining factor in the continued learning of the language in a minority situation. That is an important element.

That said, we have previously seen agreements signed with the provinces and municipalities—multi-party, bilateral or trilateral agreements—where accountability was an issue. Witnesses have been fairly clear on that, as well. Despite agreements signed with those various jurisdictions, the government was sending the provinces money that was not necessarily being spent where it should have been.

Do the agreements you have signed or those that are being negotiated contain any requirements for lighter or reduced accountability mechanisms? I am not talking about accountability as such, but about an accountability mechanism. More importantly, can it be ensured that the money given to a province will really go to communities or areas where it is supposed to be spent, as per the agreements that have been signed?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Québec, QC]

Thank you for your excellent question, Mr. Généreux.

As you said so well, we all agree that everything starts in early childhood for minority language families and communities. Many intellectual, social and emotional developments happen early in our children's lives. People's attachment to their community and the ability to participate in its development also begin at a young age, in early childhood. That is the first fact that should be emphasized, as you have done so well.

Here is the second fact. Since the provinces and territories have the primary responsibility for providing educational child care services, it is important for the relationship with them to be transparent and responsible, as you pointed out.

I will quickly explain how bilateral agreements work. There is a detailed action plan. You can look at the plans that have been developed with the provinces that have already signed bilateral agreements. Those action plans clearly set out how investments in educational child care services will be made over the next three years. In addition, the component of support for minority language families and communities is very well defined. Not only do we know it in advance, but it is also developed in advance with partners and stakeholders, who are often very happy to work with us to let us know how they think the investments should be made. Then, of course, over the next three years and until the end of the agreement, accountability is provided based on common indicators, but also indicators that are specific to provinces and territories.

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

I'm not completely satisfied with your answer, as we have heard from a number of witnesses, especially community representatives, who have told us otherwise. Perhaps you could explain the process to me better.

Services in minority communities are very often provided by community groups. They are funded either directly by the federal department or through tripartite agreements with the department and the provinces. When provinces obtain funding, the money intended for a specific program often does not make it to the organizations and is unfortunately used elsewhere. That is what we were told, and I think that everyone here witnessed it.

What guarantees have you obtained, in the agreements you have signed, to ensure that the provinces will really send this money where it was supposed to go, especially in communities?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Québec, QC]

Two elements support that guarantee.

First, associations and stakeholders in each province have participated in the discussions that led to the development of action plans. So they themselves helped facilitate that work between the provinces and the federal government by expressing how much investments in educational child care services would help minority language families and communities.

Second, those action plans are known. The process is transparent. The plans are published on websites. Provincial governments cannot hide the strategy, as it is known to everyone. As a result, it is easier for community groups on the ground to get the support promised to them in action plans.

[The Chair, Liberal, Denis Paradis]

Minister, we will now go to Nova Scotia, with Darrell Samson.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you very much, Minister and Mr. Murphy.

Minister, I must say that you are very good at recognizing the work of people on the ground and congratulating them. We are pleased to hear from you.

I would like to highlight the work you are doing. You did extraordinary work in the consultations you held on poverty reduction. The national housing strategy is also extremely important. The topic we are focusing on here, early childhood, is a very special issue.

I would like to mention that, about 12 years ago, Nova Scotia started a program in French for four-year-old children, so that they could enrol in francophone schools. That was an extremely successful initiative. Statistics show that, over the past 10 years, the student population in the province's francophone schools has increased by 25%. That's tremendous. It clearly shows the need to have day care and programs in French for children under the age of five.

This agreement will change the world, if I may put it that way. It's extraordinary. I would like to draw the committee's attention to an extremely important point stemming from a crucial principle of the multilateral framework: we have to recognize the specific needs of francophone and anglophone minorities. This is the first time in its history that Canada has had a bilateral agreement with the provinces that stresses the importance of ensuring that francophone and anglophone minorities are taken into consideration. It's incredible. Thank you so much for your leadership, as it will help the provinces move forward on this crucial issue.

I would like you to tell us how you managed to get this approved by the cabinet and the provinces. Four provinces have already signed the agreement. Nova Scotia was supposed to sign on Monday, but no agreement could be reached. That said, they will figure it out.

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Québec, QC]

Mr. Samson, what you just said gives us the first part of the answer. How did we manage? We managed through the energy, enthusiasm and vision of people like you. You tipped your hat to me, and now I tip mine to you.

As you know, I had an opportunity to spend some time with you in Nova Scotia, and I could see the preparation work you had done within Nova Scotia's Acadian community. That community is modest in size compared with the one in New Brunswick, but it is very proud, very strong and very willing to work on this issue. I also congratulate you on everything you have done.

Do you remember how touched we were, when we visited your daughter's school, by the vigour and pride the children showed in having lived in French from early childhood? There is the answer to your important question: this energy comes from the vigour of minority language communities.

In my opinion, that has two result. The first result translates into action. This is the first time we have had multilateral and bilateral agreements with the provinces on educational child care services. That is a major element. In addition, as you said, there is also the fact that the objectives of supporting our francophone and anglophone minority families and communities are explicitly stated in those agreements, which is a major victory.

However, it is not just a matter of actions, but also of education. I am talking about all the work of openness, listening and encouragement that goes along with those results. It carries a lot of value, as it strengthens communities' ability to then work with the provinces and territories to achieve such important results.

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

Thank you so much for your leadership. You have broken the ice, and other ministers will now be able to continue this extraordinary work.

There are still some concerns on the ground, especially on Prince Edward Island. Bilateral agreements that recognize specific needs were just signed, but provincial action plans on child care don't really contain that clause right now.

How do you view this integration to ensure the reaching of your objectives?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Québec, QC]

There is of course an emulation effect. The first province to sign was Ontario, and it has a solid plan. Then the provinces of New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island said that they wanted to do as well as Ontario. This is excellent, because Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick are good models. In addition, we are also doing good work with Nova Scotia. We are not supposed to know that an agreement is going to be signed, but we have every hope that that will occur. Things are moving forward very well with other provinces also. What makes things progress is that one province compares itself to the others. If one does well, the other wants to do just as well. So there are very important comparison and encouragement effects at work throughout the country.

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

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Denis Paradis]

Thank you very much

Mr. Choquette, you have the floor.

[François Choquette, NDP, Drummond, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Minister, thank you for being with us today.

Early childhood education is beyond important. It is essential to the survival, vitality and development of our minority communities. If we fail to squarely address early childhood issues, we are heading for certain assimilation.

In his 2016 study on early childhood, the former Commissioner of Official Languages Graham Fraser mentioned that several francophone communities, particularly in New Brunswick and Ontario, were resorting to bilingual immersion programs because of the shortage of access to French-language early childhood services, which has very serious consequences. Recently, the newspaper Le Droit published an article entitled “Services à la petite enfance en français: faire face à la pénurie sans précédent”. It discussed access to early childhood services in French.

What work have you done with Minister Joly, through the action plan, to solve this problem? The action plan does not mention early childhood.

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Québec, QC]

One thing may have been misunderstood, and I thank you for emphasizing this point, Mr. Choquette. All of us around this table understand the importance of investing in early childhood, for a host of reasons that are valid for all families and all children. These services also further gender equality. Of course, the availability of affordable quality child care services is especially helpful to women who want to develop fully. It is also important for the development of children, including those that are most vulnerable. It may be...

[François Choquette, NDP, Drummond, QC]

Forgive me for interrupting you, Mr. Duclos, but I really don't have much time. I'd like you to discuss the action plan. Otherwise, our chair is going to interrupt me, even though I have a lot of questions left for you.

So, please tell me what work you are doing with Ms. Joly in the context of the action plan.

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Québec, QC]

I thought I already provided answers earlier when I spoke about the action plans. The action plans of the provinces we are working with...

[François Choquette, NDP, Drummond, QC]

That is not what I am talking about, Mr. Duclos. I am talking about the action plan for minority official language communities which Ms. Joly is preparing.

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Québec, QC]

I see.

That action plan is directed by Ms. Joly. It is her department that is responsible for it, naturally.

[François Choquette, NDP, Drummond, QC]

However, you must work with her.

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Québec, QC]

Of course.

[François Choquette, NDP, Drummond, QC]

Early childhood services are extremely important for our communities. That is why I would like to know what you have done in this regard with Ms. Joly. Will early childhood be a part of the new action plan?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Québec, QC]

Yes, indeed. I'm sure you will understand that even though Ms. Joly is playing a leadership role with regard to the action plan, which she does very well in fact, today's topic will be at the heart of this broader action plan. This plan will work because we are going to tackle this important challenge from several angles and in different ways.

[François Choquette, NDP, Drummond, QC]

I would have a lot of questions but I want to talk to you about an urgent situation. It concerns RESDAC, the Réseau pour le développement de l'alphabétisme et des compétences. I know that there are three ministers who are responsible for this matter, but you are one of those three ministers who deal with RESDAC. You even spoke today at the end of your presentation about the importance of investing in employment and adult training. RESDAC has run out of funds. It had to lay off its staff and close its offices. It can no longer provide services to the country. And yet, the organization had informed your department of the situation long ago.

What are you going to do to resolve this situation, which is urgent?