Official Languages Committee on Feb. 14th, 2023

[Carsten Quell]

If I may, I'd like to be more specific. I didn't want to refer to the province of Quebec as a bilingual region. I was talking about bilingual regions like northern Ontario, eastern Ontario, the Montreal metropolitan area and most of the Eastern Townships.

Apart from those regions in Quebec, and I should point out in passing that Quebec City is a unilingual French region, the language of work in federal institutions apart from the bilingual regions of Quebec is always French.

For example, you do not have a right to be supervised in English or to write your briefing notes in English in Quebec City, because the language of work in federal institutions in Quebec City is French, just as it is English in places like Toronto and Vancouver.

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

Mr. Quell, could you answer the following question?

In Montreal or in the Eastern Townships, are we entitled to write English-only briefing notes in Canada's public service offices?

[Carsten Quell]

In the bilingual regions, if you are in a bilingual position, you have the right to choose your preferred language. You could therefore demand the right to draft your documents in the language of your choice, whether English or French.

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

What would you say makes a position bilingual?

[Carsten Quell]

Bilingual positions are established under section 91 of the act. During each staffing period, the manager must look at the profile of the position and the responsibilities attached, and determine whether the position ought to be bilingual.

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

I have another question.

Should a manager be bilingual?

[Carsten Quell]

If a manager is supervising an employee who has a right to be supervised in both languages, the manager has to be bilingual, just as a manager who supervises a team of people with different linguistic profiles has to be bilingual.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Is that all right, Mr. Godin?

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

No, but I'll stop there.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

I don't see anyone on screen or around the table with a hand up.

So I will call for the vote on amendment BQ-17.

(The amendment is defeated: nays 10; yeas 1)

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

We are now moving on to amendment BQ-18, on page 51.

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

Mr. Chair, I will not be proposing amendments BQ-18, BQ-19 or BQ-20, in order to speed things up a bit.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Thank you for that information, Mr. Beaulieu.

Is clause 15 adopted?

(Clause 15 is adopted)

(Clause 16)

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

As amendments BQ-19 and BQ-20 are not being proposed, we will now move on to amendment CPC-18.

If amendment CPC-18 is adopted, amendment BQ-21 may not be proposed because of a line conflict.

Mr. Godin, you have the floor to speak to amendment CPC-18.

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

Mr. Chair, our schedule was upset and our speaking time was shortened, but at least we heard the Commissioner of Official Languages' testimony. As it happens, the amendment I am proposing today was suggested by him.

The amendment follows up on what I was saying earlier were about the importance of bilingualism for senior management. The following message needs to be sent: bilingual is important, and it must be reflected in the corporate culture of institutions. I am therefore pleased to propose that Bill C-13, in clause 16, be amended:

(a) by replacing, in the English version, line 15 on page 9 with the following: "(3) Paragraph 36(1)(c) of the Act is replaced (b) by replacing lines 17 to 23 on page 9 with the following: (c) ensure that (i) every employee is supervised by their managers and supervisors in the official language of their choice, regardless of the linguistic identification of their position, and (ii) any management group that is responsible for the general direction of the institution as a whole has the capacity to function in both official languages."

As legislators, we have to make sure that we can develop a bilingual culture in our institutions. It mustn't be imposed.

I believe that this amendment is appropriate and would make it possible to partly achieve this objective.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Thank you, Mr. Godin.

Mr. Drouin, you have the floor now.

[Francis Drouin, Liberal, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

I'd like to thank my colleague for having proposed this amendment.

I would nonetheless like to suggest a subamendment, but will wait until it's been distributed before reading it.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Okay.

[Francis Drouin, Liberal, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

I propose that amendment CPC-18, to amend clause 16 of Bill C-13, be amended by replacing, in the English version, at line 15 on page 9, and by replacing at lines 12 to 19 on page 9 as follows:

(a) Adding after the reference to “ensure that” in paragraph (b) of that Motion the following text “, if it is appropriate in order to create a work environment that is conducive to the effective use of both official languages:”

(b) Replacing the text proposed in (i) of paragraph (b) of that Motion by the following text “managers and supervisors are able to communicate in both official languages with employees of the institution in carrying out their managerial or supervisory responsibilities”

(c) Replacing the text proposed in (ii) of paragraph (b) of that Motion by the following text “every employee is supervised by their managers and supervisors in the official language of their choice, regardless of the linguistic identification of their position; and”

(d) Adding after the text proposed in (ii) of paragraph (b) of that Motion a new paragraph d) with the following text “d) ensure that any management group that is responsible for the general direction of the institution as a whole has the capacity to function in both official languages.” so that the text reads:

(c) ensure that, if it is appropriate in order to create a work environment that is conducive to the effective use of both official languages:

(i) managers and supervisors are able to communicate in both official languages with employees of the institution in carrying out their managerial or supervisory responsibilities, and

(ii) every employee is supervised by their managers and supervisors in the official language of their choice, regardless of the linguistic identification of their position; and

(d) ensure that any management group that is responsible for the general direction of the institution as a whole has the capacity to function in both official languages.

We simply want to underscore the principle according to which employees must be able to communicate with their supervisor in French or English, and at the same time, supervisors must be able to communicate in French or English with their employees.

That's what the new amendment is proposing to amend. That's all.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Thank you, Mr. Drouin.

Please note that the French and English versions are attached. We will suspend for a few moments to look at this new amendment, and then resume the discussion.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

The committee resumed.

We are continuing the discussion on the subamendment to amendment CPC-18 proposed by Mr. Drouin.

Mr. Drouin read it. He even explained it.

Would you like to add anything Mr. Drouin ?

[Francis Drouin, Liberal, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

Without wishing to add anything, I'd like to ask the witnesses with us to explain what amendment CPC-18 is amending.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

All right.

Would a representative from the departments like to answer this question?

[Francis Drouin, Liberal, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

I'm simply asking a witness to explain more specifically what amendment CPC-18 changes in the act.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Go ahead, Mr. Quell.