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;