Evidence of meeting #14 for Official Languages in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was work.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Chief Information Officer, Digital Services and Real Property, House of Commons
The purpose of our tests was to ensure that our platform met the ISO standards, which are obligatory. We did not compare the various platforms.
Most of the professional platforms that were used meet these standards. We do too, and we can document it.
Bloc
Chief Information Officer, Digital Services and Real Property, House of Commons
If any system causes injuries, then that's not normal. On the other hand, I wouldn't recommend pointing at simply one component of the solution.
As I was saying earlier, quality is usually determined by the quality of the sound that enters the system, which depends on what is happening in the House of Commons or wherever the people attending virtually are participating from.
I can assure you that in the House of Commons, our system meets all the ISO standards.
Bloc
Mario Beaulieu Bloc La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC
As I was saying, the goal is not to point the finger at anyone, but to improve the system.
As for procedures and anything that might improve things, and not necessarily of a technical nature, the Board of Internal Economy asked Mr. Janse to send a letter to the chairs, who would then pass them on to the members of their respective committees.
I'd like to know whether there has been any follow-up action. I haven't received this letter from the committee, but I heard about it from my party whip.
What's happening with this?
Eric Janse Clerk Assistant, Committees and Legislative Services Directorate, House of Commons
Well, at the Committees and Legislative Services Directorate, we provided this information to the Bureau of Internal Economy. It was then sent on to the Chair of the Liaison Committee, who sent it to all the standing committee chairs. Most of the chairs in turn passed this information on to all members of their respective committees. For the few that have not, we sent a reminder for them to do so.
That was just before Christmas, which means that most of the committees did not really have a chance to discuss it. However, now that the committees have resumed their work, some have discussed it, like the Standing Committee on Health, which did so yesterday.
Bloc
Mario Beaulieu Bloc La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC
It's important to make sure that it's done. For us, the committee members, it's difficult to know what's going on. As for me, I only sit on the Standing Committee on Official Languages, where, according to the letter, 87% of interventions are in French. On the other committees, it's the other way around.
There was even a statistic reporting that 86% of Francophone witnesses appearing before parliamentary committees do so in English because they want to avoid any technical problems. As we know, there have been many technical problems with interpretation services in Parliament.
Clerk Assistant, Committees and Legislative Services Directorate, House of Commons
In terms of procedure, there are several options available to each committee. The committee could adopt a motion saying that witnesses can't testify without wearing their headset or if the headset they have has not been tested.
It's important to remember that witnesses are often called at the last minute, with only a few days notice. There's a complex process for confirming the appearance of a witness, sending the witness a headset, and all the other details. It can take up to a week.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Emmanuel Dubourg
Thank you very much.
Mr. Boulerice, you have the floor for six minutes.
NDP
Alexandre Boulerice NDP Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
I'd like to thank all the witnesses who are giving evidence this evening. Messrs. Robert, Janse and Aubé, I'm very pleased that you're with us to speak about an important matter that affects not only respect for official languages, but also occupational health and safety, something of concern to everyone.
You began, Mr. Aubé, by saying that the equipment used and the Zoom platform meet ISO standards.
Do you have a report or a study you could send to the committee members to demonstrate that the tests and checks were carried out and that the system does indeed meet ISO standards?
Chief Information Officer, Digital Services and Real Property, House of Commons
I could certainly give you the tests we carried out this summer for the two committee rooms. I could give you the results for the audio recording loaded into the system, and "heard" by a dummy. A sound system was placed on a chair in a committee room and in the interpretation booth. I can give you the results for the House of Commons rooms that were tested.
NDP
Alexandre Boulerice NDP Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC
Great. We'd be keen to see these reports, if possible.
Chief Information Officer, Digital Services and Real Property, House of Commons
I should add that these documents belong to the Translation Bureau, because the tests were carried out in partnership with them. I'll ask for permission to obtain them and then give you the required information.
NDP
Alexandre Boulerice NDP Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC
Great.
Apparently the Translation Bureau was asked to send regular statistical reports on interpreter audio injuries to the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs. These haven't been sent to the committee since at least September 2020.
Have you received information or statistics on work-related injury reports from interpreters?
Chief Information Officer, Digital Services and Real Property, House of Commons
I haven't received any information about that.
Have you received anything, Mr. Janse?
Clerk Assistant, Committees and Legislative Services Directorate, House of Commons
I haven't received anything either. We'll have to ask the people from the Translation Bureau when they appear at a future meeting.
NDP
Alexandre Boulerice NDP Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC
Okay. Thank you very much.
When the tests were carried out on Zoom and the interpretation system during the summer, were any Translation Bureau employees, whether permanent or freelance interpreters, there to test the system with you or was it only your own people who were there?
Chief Information Officer, Digital Services and Real Property, House of Commons
From the outset, the implementation of all solutions was completed in partnership with them. When we made changes or modified the systems used by M.P.s on Parliament Hill, some interpreters did the tests with us. That's how it's always done.
We called upon an independent agency, the National research Council of Canada, to measure the quality and levels of the audio component of the system to determine whether there were any risks to the interpreters' hearing.
Alexandre Boulerice NDP Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC
Okay. So you'll be sending us a report on the tests that you carried out.
I have some school-age children. I'm well aware that children can just pass or truly excel. Some just barely get by with 60% while others get 90%. Do the existing standards match up more closely to the minimum or was everything perfect?
Chief Information Officer, Digital Services and Real Property, House of Commons
Based on the terms used in the report to describe the test results, our systems were…
“in a safe range”
... for hearing. These tests were monitored. As I said earlier, when the equipment is used remotely and there are connectivity problems or microphone problems, then that could affect audio quality. The tests that we ran showed us that what was coming in from outside over the Internet met the current standards.
NDP
Alexandre Boulerice NDP Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC
Okay.
Are you telling us that it's not necessarily the zoom platform that's causing the problems, but rather the equipment or the quality of the connection?
Chief Information Officer, Digital Services and Real Property, House of Commons
Most of the problems identified in the tests came from the equipment of those who were joining the meetings over the Internet when they were away from Parliament. I believe that 90% of the quality problems and their impact on fatigue are attributable to this.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Emmanuel Dubourg
Mr. Boulerice, your five minutes are up. Time flies by.
Given the time remaining, we'll just do a final round. Mr. Généreux and Mrs. Lalonde will each have five minutes and Messrs. Beaulieu and Boulerice two and a half minutes each.
Before giving the floor to Mr. Généreux, I'd like to advise Mr. Beaulieu and all the committee members that the Liaison letter we spoke about has been sent to all members of the committee. It's also in the digital binder. It was sent a while ago now and might have been overlooked.
Mr. Généreux, over to you now for five minutes.
Conservative
Bernard Généreux Conservative Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
If you don't mind, I'd like out of courtesy to give my speaking time to my colleague Stephen Blaney because it's important for everyone to have an opportunity to ask questions. Mr. Dalton might be able to comment as well.