Official Languages Committee on Nov. 19th, 2020

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.

Welcome to meeting number six of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Official Languages.

The committee is meeting for the purpose of committee business.

With regard to a speaking list, the clerk and I will do the best we can to respect speakers' speaking rights.

Madam Clerk, would you please tell us whether there are any replacements and which members of the committee are here in the meeting room?

[The Clerk of the Committee, Ms. Josée Ménard]

We are pleased to see Mr. Blaney with us here in the room.

There are no replacements today.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Thank you very much.

We have six meetings left after this one because we will be sitting twice a week until the Christmas break. Today is our sixth meeting for the purpose of committee business. We will try to give priority to one or more studies so the clerk has the time to summon witnesses.

For the moment, we have adopted 2 motions, and 10 remain to be debated.

I don't know whether anyone here in the room has asked to speak, but I see on the screen that Ms. Lattanzio, Mr. Généreux, Ms. Lalonde and Mr. Arseneault want to speak.

Go ahead, Ms. Lattanzio.

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

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Go ahead, Ms. Lambropoulos.

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

Thank you.

As we've seen in the House of Commons in recent days, some of my opposition colleagues have asked the Prime Minister to remove me from the Standing Committee on Official Languages. For several days now, the media have closely scrutinized the question I put to the Commissioner of Official Languages last Friday. Today I would like to take the time to explain my remarks more fully.

First, I asked Mr. Théberge that question to determine what he thought were the causes of the decline of the French language in Quebec.

The next morning, as I looked at the video of me asking the question, I realized how insensitive and tactless I had been in the way I asked it. That's why I apologized. Since I know that written apologies don't prove the sincerity of the message, allow me, today, to offer my sincerest apologies to all those I offended by asking the question and for the way I asked it.

The fact is that I love the French language. When I go into a store in my riding or elsewhere, I always start the conversation in French. I was a teacher before I entered politics, and I taught in French. I consider it unacceptable that francophone Quebecers can't obtain services in their language in Quebec. This is a province where the sole official language is French. We all have a duty to protect it.

Last weekend, I read parts of the Léger survey and saw that a majority of young Quebecers 18 to 34 years of age attach no importance to the language in which they are served. That's a problem. It is our duty as members of Parliament to ask important, at times even difficult, questions to elicit the right testimony that will help us prepare a report and recommendations that point us in the right direction.

I have been sitting on this committee for two years, and I have always done my best to protect our country's two official languages, by defending the rights of francophone minorities outside Quebec and those of anglophone Quebecers, and to protect the French language as a minority language in this country and across the continent.

It would break my heart, as a former history teacher, to see the beautiful French language disappear from our country. For French to be protected in Canada, it must absolutely stay strong in Quebec.

However, while we look for ways to protect French in Quebec and Montreal, we must always remember that the language rights of the minority communities must be respected. The vast majority of people I know in the anglophone community speak French. I'm talking about people of my generation. Consequently, the two communities must work together to stop this decline.

Having been deeply moved by people's reactions since last Friday, and understanding the insensitive nature of my remarks, I would like to inform you today, Mr. Chair, that I wish to relinquish my duties as a member of this committee at the end of this meeting.

Please rest assured that I will make every effort to stop the decline of the French language in Quebec, while protecting the rights of the anglophone community. I will also work toward its advance both in Quebec and across Canada.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Thank you, Ms. Lambropoulos.

Before rendering my decision on that speech, I would like to take a brief moment to consult the clerk.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

We will now resume.

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

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Yes, I'll finish with this matter and then immediately turn the floor over to you, Mr. Généreux.

Having consulted the clerk, I can tell you that Ms. Lambropoulos's speech does not constitute a question of privilege. Members are appointed to the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs in cooperation with the whips of the various parties. It is up to the whips to make changes respecting members who constitute the committees. Furthermore, the Standing Committee on Official Languages does not have the power to accept or hear the remarks of Ms. Lambropoulos. I would remind members that this speech is not subject to debate.

You had a point of order, Mr. Généreux?

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

Thank you for giving me the floor, Mr. Chair.

First, before the meeting started, you asked me to lower my hand, which I did. However, I saw Ms. Lattanzio immediately raise hers when you began to speak, whereas the meeting had not yet begun. I would like to be able to speak first, given that I raised my hand before she did.

Second, if I'm not mistaken, our meeting is public, not in camera.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

It is public.

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

Then it appears that Ms. Lambropoulos's speech, which did not constitute a question of privilege, was not broadcasted. It was cut off at the start of the meeting. I would like Ms. Lambropoulos to raise her question of privilege once again. You determined that it did not constitute a question of privilege, but I would nevertheless like her to have the opportunity to make her presentation again so that it is recorded. That will afford access to it for the journalists and all those concerned by this matter.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Thank you, Mr. Généreux.

I note two points from your remarks. The first concerns Ms. Lattanzio's situation, and the second that of Ms. Lambropoulos. I will have to suspend once again to consult the clerk. What we have here is a hybrid meeting. Some members in the room may raise their hand and request the floor. The clerk has given me this information so I can put members in the correct order. The clerk and I are in the process of managing that.

She has asked me to suspend for a moment.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

We will resume.

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

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

All right.

Can you wait 30 seconds so I can respond to Mr. Généreux's point of order?

Mr. Généreux, I understand that you requested the floor first. The chair has the discretion to decide who will speak. We discussed that internally. We said that a member may not request the floor until the meeting has begun. I understand that you intended to speak at the start. Perhaps the clerk was busy and didn't see you. That's why I will agree to give you the floor following the points of order.

I'm also told that Ms. Lambropoulos's entire speech was broadcasted on ParlVu and therefore need not be repeated.

Once again, I ask for your indulgence in the matter of raising your hand in the meeting room and on the computer so we can respect everyone's right to speak.

Ms. Lalonde has a point of order.

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

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

I'm very disappointed. I can understand that my honourable colleague didn't receive my colleague's speech from his team. I find that unpleasant. I saw it. I'm surprised to see that the Conservative team didn't know it was available to all Canadians.

I'd like to thank my colleague for her speech. I know it wasn't easy for her.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

All right.

You have the floor, Mr. Généreux.

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

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

I'd like to remind my colleague Ms. Lalonde that the point of the remarks I made at the start of the meeting concerning Ms. Lambropoulos's speech was to ensure that all Canadians were well informed. The broadcast wasn't online when I requested that. If it was, it was essentially just a matter of seconds.

Let's get past this and look ahead. I'd like to thank Ms. Lambropoulos for her comments. I think it's important to confess when something like this happens. I think it's entirely to her credit that she did so and that she made the decision she has made.

However, I think we're ready to move on, as they say. I request a vote on adjournment of the motion of Mr. Beaulieu, whom I greatly respect. I entirely agree with the motion.

I think we really must move on to the committee's agenda...

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

Mr. Chair, I want to raise a procedural matter.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Go ahead, Mr. Généreux

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

I'll be brief.

I'm essentially asking that we adjourn the debate in order to vote on the motion as soon as possible so that we can continue with our business. Lord knows we have enough on our plate.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Thank you, Mr. Généreux.

Before moving on to the other speakers, I must also tell you that the last time we ended the session, we adjourned the meeting. As a consequence, there is technically no motion on the table for discussion. That's why I began the meeting in such a way that a committee member could introduce a motion.

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

Mr. Chair, I'm here in person and I requested the floor.