Official Languages Committee on Nov. 24th, 2022

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Ms. Ashton, while the clerk takes notes, would you please repeat what you are requesting be done by unanimous consent?

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

The idea is to replace point 4 with the following: "the committee proceed with clause-by-clause consideration of the bill no later than the meeting following the two meetings with the ministers and their officials."

We wanted consideration to be conducted no later than December 6, but we also want to ensure that we spend four full hours with the ministers.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Thank you, Ms. Ashton.

We will give the clerk time to finalize all that and to send the document to your P9 accounts.

Mr. Godin, do you have something important to say, or are you waiting to have the document in your hand?

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Mr. Chair, first of all, everything I say is important.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Oh, oh! That's absolutely true.

I misspoke. I should have asked you if you want to speak to that or to something else.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Yes, there's a connection, Mr. Chair.

I want to commend the openness that Ms. Ashton shows. I'd expect the same from the Liberal Party, but we'll see.

Ms. Ashton, I would like to say—

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Mr. Godin—

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

This is along the same lines, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Go ahead.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

You can always vote against my proposal. If we can't—

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

That's because first we have to get unanimous consent for Ms. Ashton's proposal—

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Yes, I understand, but this is along the same lines as what she's proposing.

The words "no later" aren't necessary. I would replace them with "begin", as in the following: "begin at the meeting following the two meetings with the ministers". However, these are just linguistic details.

Lastly, do you think what I had to say was important, Mr. Chair?

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

I will let Ms. Ashton tell us what she thinks since she's the one requesting unanimous consent.

Then we will go to the vote to determine whether we have unanimous consent.

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

I approve of that suggestion. I think we mean the same thing.

We will retain the December 6 date, but it must be noted that the four ministers must be able to be heard for one hour each. Then we can continue consideration of the bill.

[Marc Serré, Liberal, Nickel Belt, ON]

May I speak, Mr. Chair?

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Thank you, Ms. Ashton.

Go ahead, Mr. Serré.

[Marc Serré, Liberal, Nickel Belt, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The representatives of the Bloc Québécois and the Conservatives have clearly exhibited their intention to obstruct. That's why a date has to appear in the amendment. So we don't have unanimous consent.

They've clearly showed they wanted to obstruct, and that's what they've done over the past eight weeks.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

So the matter is resolved regarding the sub-amendment proposed by Ms. Ashton.

I see all the raised hands. Please wait a moment.

Since we don't have unanimous consent for Ms. Ashton to amend her own sub-amendment, we will go back to that amendment as it was sent by the clerk, that is to say the one stating the December 6 date. Debate is still open on this sub-amendment.

Go ahead, Mr. Beaulieu.

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

Mr. Chair, I think it's appalling that we're working this way.

I would stress that the Liberal Party of Canada has never approached the Bloc Québécois to look for solutions, and I don't think it has done so with the other opposition party either.

It should start by meeting with us if it wants a solution other than a gag order.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

On a point of order, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Go ahead, Mr. Godin.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Mr. Chair, you said we didn't have unanimous consent for a proposal we haven't seen yet.

Can we get the wording of Ms. Ashton's proposal?

Then you can put the question to the committee. Then we'll know whether people are for or against it. What Ms. Ashton has presented isn't clear.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Members of the committee must give unanimous consent when a person moving an amendment or a sub-amendment requests that it be amended when we are still at the debate stage. It's an unofficial procedure. I could normally deny it.

So we're going back to the date of December 6, 2022 proposed in Ms. Ashton's sub-amendment, the purpose of which is to amend the fourth paragraph of Mr. Godin's amendment. Am I clear?

This is Ms. Ashton's third sub-amendment.

I will review the timeline for the public.

Ms. Ashton is proposing a third sub-amendment, the purpose of which is to amend the fourth paragraph of the amendment moved by Mr. Godin.

Are there any other speakers on the subject?

We are listening, Mr. Beaulieu.

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

In the circumstances, I'm going to vote against the sub-amendment since we aren't even sure we'll have two meetings with the ministers. We want to hear the ministers' answers.

The Minister of Canadian Heritage was reported in an article as saying that more French could indeed be spoken at the inquiry into the government's use of the Emergencies Act. Journalists and the media also lamented the fact that francophone witnesses felt compelled to testify in English and that there was little room in the debate for French. The Minister of Canadian Heritage seems to agree because he says there should be more.

We want to know what parts of Bill C‑13 would ensure that more French is used. We also want to ask the minister why…

On the one hand, this concerns all of government, but the ministers first of all. We know that Quebec's new act, Bill 96, has established December 1 as a deadline for businesses to register with the Office québécois de la langue française, the OQLF, and to comply with the Charter of the French language. Bill 96 has amended Bill 101 so that the Charter of the French language applies to federally regulated private businesses, and the deadline set is December 1.

As we all know, Air Canada, CN, VIA Rail Canada and others have said they don't want to register. However, they'll be contravening the act as of December 1. Then a gag order will be imposed on us to ensure the bill is passed before December 1.

I think we need to have the time to do things right because—

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Pardon me for interrupting, Mr. Beaulieu, but I'm not sure I follow you.

Under Ms. Ashton's sub-amendment, clause-by-clause consideration would have to be done no later than December 6.