Official Languages Committee on Feb. 20th, 2020

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Mr. Godin, go ahead.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Mr. Chair, since we just received the document, if you could confirm that these are the committee's standards and rules, I would be ready to accept them. If not, I maintain my right to challenge.

[Emmanuella Lambropoulos, Liberal, Saint-Laurent, QC]

Nothing has changed since the last Parliament.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Thank you.

Mr. Beaulieu, the floor is yours.

[Mario Beaulieu, Bloc, La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC]

What has changed?

You say that this clause is different.

[Emmanuella Lambropoulos, Liberal, Saint-Laurent, QC]

Nothing has changed.

We include it in case we have to deal with legislation in here, so that it comes here rather than going straight to the House.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

So the routine motions are carried.

Honourable colleagues, you know how committees work. We won't be alone. We will be joined by a number of experts. To my right, we have Lucie Lecomte, who is here as an analyst.

[Lucie Lecomte]

Thank you very much,

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

I would also like to greet Laura Blackmore, who is accompanying her. Thank you for being here with us.

Let's not forget all the staff who are here and work for the telecommunications and media services, as well as the clerk and the analyst.

Thank you for joining us to ensure that committee meetings run smoothly. We know that this committee's area of focus interests many people. A good amount of work has been done over the course of previous mandates, both by members and by senators. So we will continue along the same path in order to further the committee's work.

[Marie-France Lalonde, Liberal, Orléans, ON]

Mr. Chair, would it be possible to know the full name of our dear clerk, please?

[The Clerk]

My name is Michel Marcotte.

[Marie-France Lalonde, Liberal, Orléans, ON]

Thank you.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

It is written on your notice, Mrs. Lalonde.

[Marie-France Lalonde, Liberal, Orléans, ON]

Okay.

Mr. Godin, I had not looked at the notice.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Mr. Généreux, go ahead.

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

Mr. Chair, I have had the pleasure of sitting on the Standing Committee on Official Languages over the past four years. I would like to point out to my new colleagues that Ms. Lecomte is the living memory of the Standing Committee on Official Languages. She has been here for 10 years.

You were there the first time we travelled. It was to Yellowknife, unless I'm mistaken, or to Whitehorse. I no longer remember.

All to say that, as she is the memory of this committee, she can shed a great deal of light on our future work.

Earlier, Mr. Arseneault whispered to me, in full transparency, that the issue of enumerating rights holders needs to be considered. So it would be important for our work to begin as quickly as possible. In fact, I think it will be next week.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Yes.

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

It would be important to put that issue on the agenda right away.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Thank you, Mr. Généreux.

This is part of the committee's work. If there are any proposals, we can begin the discussion.

Mr. Arseneault, the floor is yours.

[René Arseneault, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

Thank you, Mr. Généreux.

I have prepared a motion to this effect. I will read it to you and will then send it to you in writing very soon.

I will read it in both official languages. However, before I read it, I want to thank Mr. Généreux for his comments. I will provide you with the context.

Ms. Lecomte represents not only the Library of Parliament and the living memory of the Standing Committee on Official Languages, but she is mostly to be thanked for making us look good in the many reports we produce. We have drafted a number of reports and appear to be really brilliant—which we still are—but Ms. Lecompte's mastery of both official languages and her quickness are incredible.

We met with Statistics Canada representatives a few times—three times, unless I am mistaken—between 2017 and 2019, so that rights holders could be enumerated once and for all under section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Those are people living in official language minority communities, OLMCs, who are entitled to request education in their language if their numbers warrant it.

Nothing happened at the end of the 42nd Parliament because we broke for the summer and the election was to follow. Statistics Canada was supposed to do some testing on the amended form. Apparently, it could be very complicated to ask questions properly. So they ran some tests, and they are the only ones we can ask what the results were, how things went and what is working well or not so well.

That is the purpose of asking Statistics Canada to appear. It is urgent because a census is done every five years, with the next one to be carried out in 2021, which is coming up fast. So that is the context. That is why Mr. Généreux alluded to this.

That said, here is the motion:

That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(3)(f), it is proposed that the Committee convene Statistics Canada on the following subjects:

1. Update by Statistics Canada on the question of the enumeration of rights holders, and of the results of the work and tests carried out on this subject in relation to the 2021 census questionnaire;

2. The steps to follow, if necessary, to ensure that the questionnaire meets all the requirements of art. 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, relating to how to count the beneficiaries of the 2021 census;

3. Advantages and disadvantages of the short form vs the long form with regard to the counting of beneficiaries;

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

I don't know whether everyone has received a copy of the motion.

There is no problem as far as acceptability goes.

First, I would like to give the floor to Mr. Angus.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

First, for the NDP, the issue of the impact and repercussions of the census on minority communities across Canada is very important. It is necessary for the committee to look into that.

Second, when it comes to developing a long-term plan for this committee, is it possible to wait until the next meeting to discuss this aspect? The NDP has a lot of ideas. We have had discussions with francophone organizations.

Could we vote on this motion, but also on waiting until the next meeting to develop a long-term plan?

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

I will give the floor to Mr. Généreux.

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

I readily support the motion. I am just wondering whether, by having only three points, we may not prevent ourselves from putting other questions to the Statistics Canada officials when they appear before us. If they receive this motion, they will prepare answers only to those three questions.

If we wanted to obtain more details on those questions or put sub-questions to them, could we do so?

[René Arseneault, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

It is enough to cover all the questions while taking into account situations we have experienced with Statistics Canada.

First, we want to know what the results of the tests are. I remember hearing the Statistics Canada representatives say how difficult it was and how complicated it would be. So we need to check what the results of those tests carried out last summer are.

Second, there are steps to follow. We will certainly discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the short form census compared with the long form census. That's how it always goes with Statistics Canada.

If there is anything else, all we have to do is make amendments. I don't want to restrict the question selection.