Official Languages Committee on March 28th, 2022

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Central Nova, NS]

It's important for the government to provide services in both official languages, but being able to speak both official languages isn't currently a prerequisite for my position. However, I do think it's important for me to improve my French. I made a mistake during my first announcement, and I apologize for it. I don't want to repeat it.

When I made my first announcement as the new minister, it was in a virtual environment; I was alone and the context was different. However, I speak French at every opportunity. It's a sign of respect for my francophone colleagues, who have encouraged me to improve my French. That's essential. If I want to protect and promote the French language and culture, it's essential that I speak French in this room and in my community. There are a lot of francophones in Nova Scotia as well, particularly Acadians. We also have the Université Sainte-Anne. Bilingualism is important, but it isn't currently an official prerequisite for the position.

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

Thank you for that comment.

I have to say this issue's also related to our present concerns about francophone immigration. IRCC doesn't seem to be taking the problem seriously. In the past few weeks, we've heard testimony from immigration experts on the obstacles that francophones wishing to immigrate to Canada encounter.

According to Radio-Canada, the refusal rate for people from certain francophone African countries applying to immigrate to Quebec is 80%, which is completely unacceptable.

Stéphane Handfield, one of the witnesses the committee heard from early this month, told us he had seen a decline in the offer of French-language services in your department in the past 30 years of his career as an immigration lawyer.

The testimony we've heard on this committee is scandalous. You just told us that many francophone students wishing to emigrate to Canada don't have the resources to do so. However, we desperately need to attract francophone immigrants to Canada.

What's your government doing to react to this situation and to ensure that francophone African students can come to Canada and that we can lower this 80% refusal rate, which is absolutely scandalous?

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Central Nova, NS]

Thank you for that question.

Before I begin, you must understand that foreign students make a major contribution to our social, cultural and economic life. They form the best possible group of candidates for permanent residence.

Let me be clear: the acceptance rates are similar for anglophones and francophones from African countries. The officers who review their applications rely on a number of criteria.

I feel it will take me too much time to get to your point. There is a challenge here, but it's not necessarily based on differential outcomes between anglophone and francophone applicants. The challenges seem to be common to different regions of the world, based on other criteria that are applied on a case-by-case basis.

I'm interested in capitalizing on the opportunity, because I believe that embracing linguistic diversity is really good for our communities. There's a huge competitive advantage. I was in Calgary, meeting with an organization that promotes economic development in francophone communities last week, and we had an exciting conversation about what we could do to embrace the economic opportunity by attracting francophone newcomers from all over the world.

If there are suggestions from this committee to overcome some of these challenges, I want them. I want to be the minister who increases the number of francophone newcomers to Canada, not just because I think it's the right thing to do—which it is—but because I think it's going to serve our self-interest to an enormous degree.

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

Thank you for telling us that.

We want to emphasize once again that you're the minister and that you have the power to implement measures to ensure that francophone students from Africa can come to Canada. Canada clearly isn't doing what it takes to attract people or to change the rules so they can come here as soon as possible.

It's obvious from what we've heard that we haven't reached our francophone immigration target. Many witnesses have confirmed that we need not only to hit that target, but also to establish a remedial target to restore the demographic weight of the francophone community here at home.

Will you be setting restoration targets?

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Central Nova, NS]

Yes, we will.

I want to specify that the 4.4% target for 2023…

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Thank you, Minister.

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Central Nova, NS]

All right.

I'll hold that thought for another question.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

I'm sorry, Ms. Ashton.

Six minutes is so quick.

For the next round of questions, Mr. Lehoux and Mr. Généreux will share the five minutes available to them.

Go ahead, Mr. Lehoux.

[Richard Lehoux, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Good afternoon, Minister. Thank you for being with us this afternoon.

We've noted in recent weeks that there's a backlog of 25,000 applications from workers in the economic class.

How do you explain the discrepancy between that number and the percentage of the population in Quebec? What's the reason for the discrepancy between the two? The percentage is 22%, but it should be 40%.

How do you explain these backlogs?

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Central Nova, NS]

To clarify, Monsieur Lehoux, are you talking about cases inside Quebec or across Canada?

[Richard Lehoux, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

There are 65,000 pending applications in the economic class for Canada as a whole. However there are 25,000 for Quebec alone, which amounts to more than 40%.

How do you explain that major discrepancy, just for Quebec, in applications pending processing?

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Central Nova, NS]

Sure. It's really important that people understand that, for very good reasons, there's a unique system in Quebec compared with that of the rest of Canada.

One thing that happens is that the provincial government of Quebec—

[Richard Lehoux, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

Pardon me for interrupting.

I don't mean to be rude, Minister, but I always told my provincial members that I didn't like to see parties passing the buck. When I listen to Quebec's immigration minister, Mr. Boulet, I can see he's really starting to lose patience.

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Central Nova, NS]

No.

[Richard Lehoux, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

That's what I conclude from what I read and hear.

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Central Nova, NS]

We have a very good relationship as well, and I would never try to be critical.

Actually, I think Minister Boulet's an excellent partner.

But on your question—

[Richard Lehoux, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

Solutions have to be found, Minister.

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Central Nova, NS]

—I'm working hard with Minister Boulet on some of those solutions. Perhaps in the days ahead, we'll be more specific in public.

[Richard Lehoux, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

Can you tell us how many of the total number of applications come from workers in the agri-food sector?

By that I don't mean just the agricultural sector, but rather everything pertaining to food processing.

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Central Nova, NS]

In Quebec, it will be up to the provincial government of Quebec to select every applicant, for people who are coming here on a permanent basis. It will be up to me to process those they identify as the people they would like to bring.

[Richard Lehoux, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

Based on what I learned in the Quebec government, it appears the problem stems from Ottawa. I'd like someone to give me a precise answer. We don't know each other, Minister, but I've written to you several times on this matter.

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Central Nova, NS]

There's one clarification I need to offer. There are the people who are invited to apply. The levels that the Province of Quebec set are very important to understand. If more people submit applications than there are levels allowing them to be admitted, we will process up to the levels the provincial government selects.

They've indicated that they want to continue to increase our levels. I think that's a really good thing. We are going to be in a position to process the requests the provincial government makes of us. We don't get involved in the business of telling them whom they should select within the levels they set in their provincial system.

[Richard Lehoux, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

Thank you, Minister.

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Central Nova, NS]

You're welcome.

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

Is it my turn?