Official Languages Committee on March 23rd, 2022

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

The federal regime is much less binding.

You talked about helping enhance francophone immigration outside Quebec, but there isn't enough francophone immigration in Quebec. That's one of the factors that has been most helpful.

Would you be prepared to have the Official Languages Act provide for measures to enhance francophone immigration in Quebec, not just outside Quebec?

[Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Liberal, Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, NB]

I believe that it's essential to increase the Canadian rate of immigration in Acadia and Quebec. We want to ensure that we contribute to increasing the demographic weight and achieving the target francophone immigration rate. It's therefore important to work with the provinces and territories, because we acknowledge that we all have a role to play. The communities must also play a role.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Thank you, Minister and Mr. Beaulieu.

Ms. Ashton, you have the floor for two and a half minutes.

[Niki Ashton, NDP, Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, MB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

My question is about comments made by the Commissioner of Official Languages, who mentioned in his reports that the application of language rights in the public service was problematic. In his 2018‑19 report, he said that: " ...it is worrisome to note that between 2008 and 2017, the results of the Public Service Employee Survey show that there was no significant progress on any of the issues pertaining to official languages."

We think that the source of the problem is a lack of leadership with respect to official languages in our federal institutions. In view of the systemic problems we have often discussed, it would appear that the Department of Canadian Heritage is not succeeding in upholding official languages rights in the public service.

Do you feel that we should take more concrete action on this, not only by means of this act, but also in general?

[Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Liberal, Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, NB]

Thank you very much for that very important question.

Our public servants have the right to work in the official language of their choice. It's very important for the government to make its contribution to this. By making the Treasury Board's role more concrete, the minister will do her work to ensure that an evaluation is carried out. She will also assess the working tools used in all matters of French and English as a second language. She will also ensure that people in managerial positions have the required level of language training. We want to make sure that our employees can choose the language in which they wish to work. It's a choice, and it's a right. We want to ensure that it is upheld.

[Niki Ashton, NDP, Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, MB]

I believe that the commissioner was clear. The government is failing in its role to ensure that public servants can work in French. That's the point we want to underscore.

Do you have any comments on that?

[Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Liberal, Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, NB]

I fully agree with the commissioner. We definitely have to ensure that our public servants can work in the official language of their choice.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Thank you, Minister.

Mr. Généreux, you have the floor for five minutes.

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

I have several questions for you, Minister. I would appreciate it if you could be brief.

How many people in a region constitute a strong francophone presence?

[Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Liberal, Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, NB]

Thank you for that question.

I was speaking about the regulatory framework that we still need to finish. As soon as the bill has received royal assent, a definition of what constitutes a strong francophone presence will be given. That's precisely the work that we need to get done.

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

So there is no definition.

[Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Liberal, Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, NB]

We are going to begin the consultation process as soon as royal assent has been received. For us in New Brunswick, it's a very important question. We want to make sure that we get a proper definition.

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

Okay.

How many airline companies are subject to the Official Languages Act?

[Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Liberal, Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, NB]

I can't give you the exact number of companies that will be subject to the new act.

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

I guess that means that it will be more than one.

Are you telling me that a number of airline companies will be subject to the new act?

[Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Liberal, Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, NB]

Yes.

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

Okay.

[Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Liberal, Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, NB]

What's confusing is—

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

Sorry, but it's an important question.

To my knowledge, only Air Canada and its subsidiary companies are subject to the Official Languages Act. Are you telling me that the new act will apply to other airline companies?

[Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Liberal, Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, NB]

Absolutely.

But for monetary and administrative penalties, only the four entities that I mentioned, Air Canada, Via Rail, the airport authorities and Marine Atlantic, will be subject to this part of the act.

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

When you say airport authorities, does that include the airports and their employees?

Does that mean that employees who are found guilty could be fined $25,000?

[Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Liberal, Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, NB]

Yes.

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

It's important to know that.

For francophone immigration, we had—and have always had, I believe—an objective of approximately 4.4% for Canada. I was on the committee in 2009—12 years ago—and it was the target at the time. It's still the target now, I think. We have just welcomed approximately 400,000 immigrants to Canada, meaning that there would have been 17,600 francophone immigrants if we had reached that target.

Do you know how many of these 400,000 immigrants to Canada were francophones?

[Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Liberal, Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, NB]

I couldn't tell you.

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

Why can't you tell me?