Mr. Chair, I am amazed that they are trying to convince us that the word “estimate” is stronger than the word “enumeration”.
For the purposes of discussion, I will read both definitions. According to Google, the word “estimate” means the action of estimating, of determining the value or price that one attributes to something. As for the word “enumeration”, it is the action of counting, of drawing up an inventory, of taking a census—the enumeration of fortunes in a country, for example. In Canada, things are not going well in this regard, because the government has run up large deficits, but that's another story.
Personally, I find it hard to understand that officials are trying to convince us that school boards can send us lists, that it is to their advantage to do so, that we can rely on them and that we will shape our approach around the benefits the school boards get from sharing them. That is what I heard earlier from my colleague Mr. Serré. In my opinion, a federal act must provide the necessary tools to be as independent as possible.
Ms. Boyer, you said earlier that the chief statistician had a lot of power. If he were not obliged to request data from elsewhere and if he could carry out this enumeration himself on a regular basis, it would be a tool.
However, the act does not say that the census is the only thing. It provides that the federal government has a duty to do an enumeration. I know that the departments have the jurisdiction to do so. You will find the tools to do the enumeration. So stop trying to sell us the idea that “estimate” is a stronger word than “enumeration”: in my opinion, and with all due respect to the public service, it is not logical.
This week, I spoke with representatives of the Fédération nationale des conseils scolaires francophones, who reminded me of the importance of enumeration. We're talking about lists and the benefits that school boards would get from sharing them. However, even the latter say that this is not enough and that it must be enshrined in the act. The Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne has also requested that it be.
So I do not understand why the Liberal Party is introducing a subamendment to weaken the act and do a disservice to minorities across Canada. Is this an indication of the dissension that exists within this party, as we have seen in the news over the past few days and weeks?
This morning, the member for Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook—