Official Languages Committee on Feb. 23rd, 2021

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

I have one final question for you. Are you currently requiring bilingual labelling or are we still in a situation in which it can be only in English, provided that there is an English version available online, for example?

[Manon Bombardier]

Thanks for the question.

Bilingual labelling is required for all Canadian manufacturers. We monitor this to ensure that companies are complying.

Importers are for the time being allowed to deliver products with a unilingual label, provided that the information is available at points of sale in both official languages.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Thank you, Ms. Bombardier.

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu.

Mr. Boulerice, you have the floor for two and a half minutes.

[Alexandre Boulerice, NDP, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

This is after all the Standing Committee on Official Languages, and that explains our concerns about bilingualism and the provision of services in both official languages under all circumstances.

I would like to use my two and a half minutes to broach another subject.

As you know, there was a serious incident at the Joliette hospital, in which Ms. Joyce Echaquan died in tragic circumstances. There was apparently no interpreter available at the hospital at the time it occurred, even though there was supposed to be one. I know that this does not fall within your jurisdiction, but it leads to the issue of the safety of members of first nations and indigenous communities. It can sometimes be a little more difficult to communicate with these communities, and to provide them with information. During the health crisis, they have been at even greater risk because of a host of other issues, including the shortage of housing.

Has your department made special efforts in recent months with respect to indigenous languages?

[Pam Aung-Thin]

Thank you for your question.

Yes, we have also been working hard on indigenous languages. We have been providing information in indigenous languages not only in writing, but also via video and other means. We have also been advertising on television stations run by indigenous communities.

We have also used Google Drive to send out information on various public health matters. We have content not only in French and English, but also in several non-official languages. There are 23 languages in all, at least three of which are indigenous languages. The people and leaders of these communities can therefore find this information in their mother tongue, even if it is neither English nor French, and disseminate it within their communities.

[Alexandre Boulerice, NDP, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC]

Thank you very much for your answer.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Thank you, Mr. Boulerice.

That's all the time we have for the representatives of the health department, Ms. Pam Aung‑Thin, Acting Assistant Deputy Minister of the Communications and Public Affairs Branch, and Ms. Manon Bombardier, Acting Associate Assistant Deputy Minister of Health Canada's Health Products and Food Branch.

Ladies, on behalf of myself and the members of the committee, I thank you for having accepted our invitation and for having testified before us this evening. I wish you both a wonderful evening.

Dear committee members, I'd appreciate it if you could stay for another 10 minutes.

I see that Ms. Martinez Ferrada has her hand up.

Go ahead, madam.

[Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Liberal, Hochelaga, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Before moving on to the budget, I'd like to propose a motion to my colleagues. During the meeting, we frequently alluded to the reform presented by the minister. I'd like to bring a motion to invite the minister to testify before the committee so that we can ask her questions about her proposed reform. I'm hoping to get unanimous consent from the committee.

I'd also like to discuss with you, Mr. Chair, and with the clerk, when this meeting with the minister might take place. If we are going to discuss the reform at each meeting, then I think it's important to have the minister appear so that we can ask her questions.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Okay, thank you. I've taken note of your request.

We need to proceed quickly, because our team of technicians will only be with us for 10 more minutes.

Mr. Blaney, you have the floor.

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I agree with the budget proposal. I believe that $4,600 is the smallest budget I've ever seen for a study.

And I think Ms. Martinez Ferrada's suggestion is an excellent idea. Everyone is talking about it, and after all, we are the Standing Committee on Official Languages. Without a bill, we could at least meet the minister. I can tell you that I will immediately ask her when she will be tabling her bill. That will allow the minister to be prepared to give me an answer right away.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

I'll have to check with the clerk to see whether a motion is required, or if we can immediately set aside an appropriate time to receive the minister, if that's what the members of the committee would like.

What do you think, Madam Clerk?

[The Clerk]

Mr. Chair, because a notice of motion was not presented 48 hours in advance, it would require the unanimous consent of the committee to propose and debate a motion today, if that is what the committee members wish to do.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Right. So let's get to it quickly, without any debate, because—

[Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Liberal, Hochelaga, QC]

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Go ahead, Ms. Martinez Ferrada.

[Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Liberal, Hochelaga, QC]

Another committee I sit on found itself in the same situation: without unanimous consent, there is no debate.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

That's correct.

Mr. Beaulieu, you have the floor.

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

Is there a timeframe?

I'd like us to be able to at least begin the study of the status of French in Quebec. This study has been postponed repeatedly.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

We're getting to it, Mr. Beaulieu.

I'd like to inform the committee members that the witnesses for next Thursday have been confirmed. We'll be welcoming representatives from Impératif français and the Quebec Community Groups Network, as well as former senator Joyal, and lawyer and professor Érik Labelle Eastaugh.

Just a reminder as well that when we return from the break, we've assigned priority to Statistics Canada. After that, the following Thursday, we need to study the report on interpreters, before the next break.

In view of this schedule, I would like to ask the committee members whether there is unanimous consent on inviting the Minister of Official Languages, Ms. Joly at an appropriate moment. If so, it would mean that we wouldn't need a motion.

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

We will therefore look into this invitation and I'll keep you informed of the outcome.

I will now return to Mr. Beaulieu's comment about the study on government measures to protect and promote French in Quebec and Canada. A few minutes ago, we sent you a request for approval of a $4,600 budget for this study. The amount can be explained by the fact that our work will be done primarily by videoconference and there will be virtually no one present in the room.

Accordingly, I am asking the members of the committee for approval of this $4,600 budget so that we can begin our study on Thursday this week.

(Motion agreed to)

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

To conclude, I would like to thank you all, as well as the technical team, the clerk, and the IT analysts and specialists who have been with us this evening.

The meeting is adjourned.