Official Languages Committee on June 1st, 2021

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Ahuntsic-Cartierville, QC]

In the budget, we received an additional $121.3 million for post-secondary institutions. So we will definitely be using an open hand philosophy and trying to help Campus Saint-Jean.

It is not true that we will give up on it. We are not that kind of a government. That is not how we have treated our language minorities over the past five years.

As Minister of Official Languages, it is not true that I will personally participate in language rights violations in Alberta.

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

We received a report from the Commissioner of Official Languages today, a rather damning report on the situation of French and on respect for bilingualism within federal institutions.

I would like to hear your comments on that. In 2019, you promised to modernize the Official Languages Act. In the end, you produced a white paper of sorts, a discussion paper.

I have already introduced three bills in the House of Commons. We looked at whether you have done the same, and I don't think you have ever introduced a bill.

Do you want me to help you introduce a bill?

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Ahuntsic-Cartierville, QC]

I am obviously very eager to produce something, especially a bill. I will definitely make sure to introduce a bill in 2021.

It would be my pleasure to work with you on introducing a bill, as that is extremely important.

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

Yes, it is very important, but when are you planning to introduce a bill on the modernization of the Official Languages Act?

It is nice to have other consultations, discussion papers and so on, but we saw today in the report of the Commissioner of Official Languages that the number of complaints has tripled in recent years. It has tripled, and that is significant. It is high time we had a new bill.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

I apologize, Mr. Boulerice, I have a request from Mrs. Lalonde.

Do you have a point of order, Mrs. Lalonde?

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

I have a great deal of respect for my colleague Mr. Boulerice.

I wanted to know how his question relates to the motion before us.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Mr. Boulerice is talking about introducing bills. That concerns official languages.

I will actually ask Mr. Boulerice to try to ask questions related to the study we are conducting this afternoon.

Thank you.

Go ahead, Mr. Boulerice. You have one minute of your six left.

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

Great.

I just wanted to talk generally about the defence of francophones' rights and about public services in French.

I see that my colleague Mr. Angus is here. I would like to give him the last minute of this first round, should he like to ask questions.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Mr. Angus, 45 seconds now remain.

Go ahead.

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

Madame Joly, thank you.

My question is simple. Mr. Haché said there were multiple meetings with the federal government, but you said you didn't meet with them, so did Mr. Lefebvre let you know that they were facing bankruptcy? That's what Mr. Haché told us—that they were in crisis and that after the meeting they had to make the decision to go into bankruptcy.

Who told you that they were in crisis, or were you not told?

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Ahuntsic-Cartierville, QC]

I was not told. If I had been told, I would have clearly called the province to find a solution, because—

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

I believe you.

Mr. Lefebvre was speaking with them in December. You said that he was the contact person. I just wanted to confirm that.

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Ahuntsic-Cartierville, QC]

He contacted my office in January to talk about it.

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

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Thank you.

Mr. Dalton, you have the floor for the next five minutes.

[Marc Dalton, Conservative, Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge, BC]

Good afternoon, Minister Joly.

I believe in miracles. We saw an incredible miracle today. Just before our meeting, there was a $5 million announcement. It's encouraging, but to me it shows a vulnerability on the part of the government, in this regard, to Laurentian University and other institutions. Perhaps the government could do a lot more. I have a few questions to ask.

Ms. Joly, your government is willing to help francophone, francophile and bilingual students and the post-secondary campuses where they study, but you are placing the obligation to act first on other governments. That's not exactly what you said, but you said they had to come to the table and you were going to lobby the governments of Premier Kenney and Premier Ford. That's politics.

I wonder why aid is always attached to conditions and why you don't give money without conditions.

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Ahuntsic-Cartierville, QC]

I just want to tell you that right now we don't have any problems with Dennis King, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Yukon, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories or the Horgan government in British Columbia. We only have problems with governments that cut funding to their university campuses when it directly affected francophone communities.

This is not politics, Mr. Dalton. It's because these governments are making decisions that do not take into account language rights in this country. Unfortunately, that's too often the history of our country. That is why we must act, as a federal government, to protect language rights. I take my role as a defender of language rights very seriously.

Moreover, you talk about a $5-million miracle, but I want to confirm that there will be several other miracles, since the budget provides for $121.3 million more. So we can expect to have at least 40 miracles. It will be my pleasure to announce them to you one after another.

[Marc Dalton, Conservative, Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge, BC]

Fine.

The federal government gives money directly to universities all the time. A few months ago, your own parliamentary secretary announced $45 million for projects at McGill University with no matching funds from any other government.

So you can do that if you have the will to do so, correct?

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Ahuntsic-Cartierville, QC]

You are talking about research funds. This has nothing to do with official languages funds. It has to do with research chairs, and the Department of Industry manages that. All university researchers in the country apply, and the chosen researchers decide what research will be supported. It works much the same way for the Canada Council for the Arts, an organization that is normally completely neutral and independent of government.

What I can tell you is that, on our side, the funding is through bilateral agreements and is intended for small infrastructure projects. I say small projects because we rarely get to $5 million.

[Marc Dalton, Conservative, Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge, BC]

I see.

Shouldn't there be some leadership from your government, since access to minority language education is mentioned in federal documents?

You didn't need the other governments to be at the table to give $10 million to Loblaws for refrigerators, even though grocery stores are not under federal jurisdiction. That was a small project, wasn't it?

[Paul Lefebvre, Liberal, Sudbury, ON]

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

This is completely unrelated.

[Marc Dalton, Conservative, Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge, BC]

Yes, it is related, in an important way.

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Ahuntsic-Cartierville, QC]

Mr. Dalton, I have a lot of respect for you. I know you were in provincial politics before. You have a lot of experience as a politician, so I know you understand that this question was perhaps out of order.

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

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

I'm listening, Mr. Blaney.