Evidence of meeting #85 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 théberge.

A video is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Raymond Théberge  Nominee for the position of Commissioner of Official Languages, As an Individual

4:10 p.m.

Conservative

Stephanie Kusie Conservative Calgary Midnapore, AB

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Madam Minister. It is always a pleasure to see you.

For the rest of my life, I will remember the first day we met. It was my first day in the House. It was wonderful.

4:10 p.m.

Liberal

Mélanie Joly Liberal Ahuntsic-Cartierville, QC

By the way, thank you for your French.

4:10 p.m.

Conservative

Stephanie Kusie Conservative Calgary Midnapore, AB

Thank you very much. I am very proud to speak both official languages. I know I make a lot of mistakes, but I am very proud.

4:10 p.m.

Liberal

Mélanie Joly Liberal Ahuntsic-Cartierville, QC

No, you are doing very well. Congratulations!

4:10 p.m.

Conservative

Stephanie Kusie Conservative Calgary Midnapore, AB

You are very kind, thank you.

I read that $77,000 had been spent on the nomination process for Ms. Meilleur as commissioner of official languages. I would like to know if the government spent the same amount on the nomination of Mr. Théberge, even though he applied for the position himself.

4:10 p.m.

Liberal

Mélanie Joly Liberal Ahuntsic-Cartierville, QC

We received many applications from right across the country. We are very pleased to have an excellent candidate. For the first time, it is someone who is not from Ontario or Quebec. Mr. Théberge is a Franco-Manitoban who has worked in Acadia. We are confident that he will be a strong watchdog for the official languages.

4:10 p.m.

Conservative

Stephanie Kusie Conservative Calgary Midnapore, AB

Of course.

I am very fond of people from Manitoba. My husband is from Winnipeg, and he also speaks French. I am really proud of that also.

With regard to bilingualism on the Supreme Court, Mr. Théberge said that we agree on the principle, but not on the means. You said that there is value in having a law that imposes bilingualism on the Supreme Court of Canada.

In your opinion, are those not the same means?

4:10 p.m.

Liberal

Mélanie Joly Liberal Ahuntsic-Cartierville, QC

As to what Mr. Théberge said, he could answer your questions.

As to our government, our position is clear: we support the importance of bilingualism on the Supreme Court of Canada. The Prime Minister mentioned this in a letter to the editor that was published in all the major newspapers. The Minister of Justice took her instructions very seriously. So we have named two very good bilingual judges to the Supreme Court, and we will continue to do so.

4:10 p.m.

Conservative

Stephanie Kusie Conservative Calgary Midnapore, AB

Thank you very much.

I will let Mr. Mulcair have the floor.

4:10 p.m.

Conservative

The Vice-Chair Conservative Alupa Clarke

You have 3 minutes and 20 seconds left.

4:10 p.m.

NDP

Thomas Mulcair NDP Outremont, QC

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

I would like to go back to something the minister said earlier. It is not true that the QCGN or Quebec Community Groups Network was consulted. It was not consulted. I checked that right before this meeting.

4:10 p.m.

Liberal

Mélanie Joly Liberal Ahuntsic-Cartierville, QC

Listen, Mr. Mulcair, I spoke with members of the QCGN...

4:10 p.m.

NDP

Thomas Mulcair NDP Outremont, QC

I would also like to explain to the minister...

4:10 p.m.

Liberal

Mélanie Joly Liberal Ahuntsic-Cartierville, QC

...and I even had the opportunity to introduce the candidate to them...

4:10 p.m.

Conservative

The Vice-Chair Conservative Alupa Clarke

Madam Minister, please wait until he asks his question.

4:10 p.m.

Liberal

Mélanie Joly Liberal Ahuntsic-Cartierville, QC

Perfect, go ahead.

4:10 p.m.

NDP

Thomas Mulcair NDP Outremont, QC

I would also like to point something out to the minister. We live in a society governed by the rule of law and, under the Official Languages Act, the parties recognized in Parliament must be consulted.

My question is very simple: does the minister think that consulting someone means telling them that the government has already selected someone?

To our mind, that is not consulting, but informing. Yet the act requires consultation.

4:10 p.m.

Liberal

Mélanie Joly Liberal Ahuntsic-Cartierville, QC

We are pleased to have been able to work with representatives from various organizations. For instance, I met with people from the FCFA on several occasions and had conversations with them more than once, specifically about the process. I also spoke with QCGN representatives a few times. Further, my parliamentary secretaries spoke with various community stakeholders.

Mr. Mulcair, I sent you a letter and received a reply, which included three conditions that you spelled out clearly. You pointed out the importance of consulting organizations, of consulting opposition party leaders, and of appointing someone from Acadia. The official opposition, which is made up of Conservatives, said it was satisfied with the process.

4:15 p.m.

NDP

Thomas Mulcair NDP Outremont, QC

But not us.

4:15 p.m.

Liberal

Mélanie Joly Liberal Ahuntsic-Cartierville, QC

Those people said they were satisfied with the candidate

4:15 p.m.

NDP

Thomas Mulcair NDP Outremont, QC

But not us.

4:15 p.m.

Liberal

Mélanie Joly Liberal Ahuntsic-Cartierville, QC

So we are satisfied with the process and the candidate.

4:15 p.m.

NDP

Thomas Mulcair NDP Outremont, QC

We do not agree with your statement that there was consultation. Informing a recognized party which candidate the government has chosen is not consultation. That makes no sense. It is obvious.

I will put that aside for the moment.

The minister referred earlier to a document. According to a 100-year-old parliamentary tradition, when a minister refers to a document, the minister is required to make the document available. In answering a question, the minister referred earlier to an agreement with Netflix. Francophones outside Quebec would really like to know what it has in store for them. In accordance with this tradition, the minister must therefore provide the Netflix agreement.

When will we get it?

4:15 p.m.

Liberal

Mélanie Joly Liberal Ahuntsic-Cartierville, QC

The document I clearly referred to, Mr. Mulcair, is the letter I sent you. I will gladly provide it, it is right here.

4:15 p.m.

NDP

Thomas Mulcair NDP Outremont, QC

You referred to the Netflix agreement. There is no point in denying it since it will appear in the record of our meeting today. You specifically referred to the agreement with Netflix, and we want to see it.