Official Languages Committee on Sept. 27th, 2022

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

Thank you.

My next question is for you, Mr. Boucher. You appear to be satisfied with the consultations provided in the act, but should it not contain more outcome-oriented obligations?

Should it not contain extremely clear requirements? Instead of providing only for consultations, which is perfectly legitimate, should the act not include outcome requirements?

[Daniel Boucher]

I believe that consultation is clearly a starting point. Indeed, Bill C‑13 should be more explicit about very concrete results in various areas, including immigration.

Generally speaking, I believe that the exercise is useful, but that holding consultations is only the beginning. Consultations must be conducted seriously to really obtain an accurate picture of the community's opinion.

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

Excuse me for interrupting, Mr. Boucher, but I want to point out that we only review this act about every 40 years. We are currently conducting this consultation, whose purpose is to fine-tune the act that will stand as the official languages framework for the next 40 years. Shouldn't results requirements be incorporated into the act?

[Daniel Boucher]

Absolutely.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Thank you, Mr. Généreux.

Ms. Kayabaga, it's over to you now for five minutes.

[Arielle Kayabaga, Liberal, London West, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I'd like to begin by thanking our guests today for having taken the time to attend this meeting.

I'll begin with a question for Ms. Montreuil.

Ms. Montreuil, I'd like to begin by allowing you to finish answering my colleague's question about the measures in Bill C‑13 designed to support research in French.

[Sophie Montreuil]

What we're asking for in terms of amendments to the Official Languages Act is relatively simple. The amendments consist of changing one word for another and adding a phrase somewhere else. However modest that may be, it would have a major impact on an organization like ours. It would be the first time that there is a mention of francophone knowledge and research in French. It would be a plus for us.

We are asking that a little more be done to ensure that researchers outside Quebec, particularly in francophone minority communities, acquire better conditions as the years go by, in order to slow down or even stop the decline in French-language research in Canada. No one would benefit from the disappearance of research on local francophone, anglophone or other language groups. Different of points of view, multilingualism and multiculturalism in Canada are important. We need to make sure that there are studies done on those areas.

In our case, what we are defending is research in French. It's important for the studies and data to have an impact on the public policies that serve the population, the institutions and the organizations. The changes we are proposing go some way towards ensuring a better grasp of things so that all sectors targeted by positive measures are affected by our additional phrase concerning knowledge and the importance of producing and disseminating knowledge.

Have I answered your question?

[Arielle Kayabaga, Liberal, London West, ON]

Yes, thank you very much.

Mr. Boucher, you mentioned earlier that there were still shortcomings in francophone minority communities. Can you mention a few and explain how Bill C‑13 addresses them?

[Daniel Boucher]

I'll ask Mr. Beaudry to answer that question.

[Jean-Michel Beaudry]

Of course.

To return to the matter of the consultations and the regulations that stemmed from them, I'd like to point out that Manitoba was closely involved in legal action concerning the federal government and part VII of the Official Languages Act. The official languages regulations that resulted from consultations did not go far enough in addressing the needs of minority language communities. Something more than straightforward consultation is therefore required. The interests raised in the consultations must be taken into consideration by the government from now on. Consideration must also be given to the fact that needs vary from one region to another. This consultation phase is therefore very important if we are to have programs and services that directly meet the local needs of minority language communities.

So I don't believe a straightforward consultation is adequate.

[Arielle Kayabaga, Liberal, London West, ON]

All right.

Mr. Boucher, you mentioned earlier that it was essential to have a strong francophone immigration policy. Why is it so important to communities like yours for this policy to accurately target minority francophone communities?

[Daniel Boucher]

I'll be very brief.

It's critical for our communities. We have been working on this issue since 2003 and have made considerable progress. We're very proud of this, but we need to keep at it.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Thank you, Mr. Boucher.

I'd like to point out that for the next two rounds of two and a half minute questions, that I need the unanimous consent of the committee to go beyond the allotted time by a few minutes. Is there unanimous consent?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Thank you.

Mr. Beaulieu, you have the floor for two and a half minutes, but no more than that.

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

Mr. Boucher, I asked you a question which you didn't have enough time to answer.

Basically, I was wondering whether, since the passage of the Official Languages Act, Franco-Manitobans had obtained a right to a remedy. Do you feel that this ought still to be applicable?

[Daniel Boucher]

It depends on what is meant by “remedy”. I think that we managed to succeed largely thanks to the support programs we receive. We still have an enormous amount of work to do, and effecting a remedy or making up for lost ground truly remains a major challenge. However, I believe that if we were to introduce measures and programs, in consultation with the communities, and speak to one another to agree on what steps to follow, we could make enormous progress.

To answer your question, I think that we are slowly catching up, and making progress fairly quickly.

[Jean-Michel Beaudry]

I'd also like to comment on Ms. Ashton's proposals.

One factor wasn't mentioned, and that's that the number of enrolments in immersion and French-language programs has been rising steadily over the past 10 years. It's true that we still have to make up for lost ground, and we hope that a modernized bill will lend us even more support.

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

Excellent.

I have a question for the Acfas representative.

Does Acfas also have a mandate to defend research in French in Quebec, and if so, what is it doing? Should Bill C‑13 have provisions to cover that?

[Sophie Montreuil]

I think I have only a few seconds left.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

You have 40 seconds.

[Sophie Montreuil]

Okay, Mr. Chair.

Acfas has indeed been promoting research in French in Quebec and Canada, and even internationally. The mission hasn't changed in 100 years. We are well served by the Quebec government in terms of funding. I'm pleased to be able to say so.

I'll take the liberty of adding something important. The Quebec government recently awarded us funding on two occasions with a view to establishing a service to provide research assistance in French. It's something completely new that our organization will be creating over the next few months, and which is not in any way for researchers from Quebec, but solely for francophone researchers in minority communities.

We are not currently receiving anything from the federal government for this service. Our funding comes strictly from the private sector and the Quebec government.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Thank you, Ms. Montreuil.

I am now giving the floor to Ms. Ashton for two and half minutes.

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

Thank you.

I want to give Mr. Boucher or Ms. Beaudry the opportunity to add a comment on the matter of language provisions. I'd like to know what they involve for Manitoba's francophone communities in terms of the services to which francophones are entitled.

[Daniel Boucher]

Mr. Beaudry can tell us more about the most recent early childhood language provision.