Official Languages Committee on March 21st, 2023

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

To begin with, we want to make the official language rights of francophone minorities in Canada constitutional and quasi-constitutional. We therefore believe that the court challenges program should apply to francophone minorities in Canada and not be used to undermine the legislative provisions that protect French in Quebec.

Paragraph 22(1)(d) of the bill reads as follows:

22(1)(d) encourage and assist provincial and territorial governments to support the development of English and French linguistic minority communities generally and, in particular, to offer provincial, territorial and municipal services in both English and French and to provide opportunities for members of English or French linguistic minority communities to be educated in their own language;

Point (c) of Amendment BQ-40 removes the words “municipal services in both English and French”, because, in our view, anglophones in Quebec are part of the English Canadian majority. The United Nations even shares our point of view. Francophones are therefore not a majority.

Point (d) of Amendment BQ-40 addresses paragraph 22(1)(e) of the bill. It replaces lines 38 to 40 of the bill with the following: “of that language by members of”.

We believe that it is French that must be protected.

Point (d) of Amendment BQ-40 addresses paragraph 22(1)(f) of the bill and replaces “to provide services in both English and French and to foster the recognition and use of those languages;” with “to provide services in French and to foster the recognition and use of that language;”.

There may be problems in other parts of Canada, but I think the anglophone minority in Quebec is very well respected.

Point (f) addresses paragraph 22(1)(g) of the bill and replaces “official languages;” with “French linguistic minority communities in Canada;”.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu.

With respect to Amendment BQ-40, I must make a ruling.

Bill C-13 amends the Official Languages Act by providing for certain measures to advance the equality of status and use of English and French in Canadian society. The amendment seeks to remove English from certain measures and remove references to anglophone minorities from the bill.

House of Commons Procedure and Practice, third edition, at page 770, states the following:

An amendment to a bill that was referred to committee after second reading is out of order if it is beyond the scope and principle of the bill,

In the opinion of the chair, for the reasons outlined, the amendment is contrary to the principle of the bill that passed second reading in the House of Commons.

Therefore, I rule this amendment to be inadmissible.

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

On principle, I challenge your ruling.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

You are very amiable, on principle.

We will now vote.

[The Clerk of the Committee, Ms. Michelle Legault]

I would remind you that the question is as follows:

That the ruling of the Chair be sustained.

(Ruling of the chair sustained: yeas 10; nays 1)

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Thank you.

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

It is about symmetry, but that already exists.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

No more arguing. The amendment is defeated.

This brings us to amendment CPC‑34, which is included in the package of documents. For those who have the package, it is found on page 111. If amendment CPC‑34 were to be adopted, amendment BQ‑41 could not be adopted because of a line conflict.

Mr. Godin, you have the floor.

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

Is it on page 111 or 110? Here, it is on page 110. Is it actually no. 12143420?

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Yes, but in the new package it is on page 111. We were given this new package just before I arrived.

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

You see, Mr. Chair, that we are having trouble following.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Yes, but you have the right reference number. That's what is important. It is amendment CPC‑34.

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

That's fine.

I move that Bill C‑13, in Clause 22, be amended by replacing line 5 on page 15 with the following:

sure public consultation and separate consultations with the provincial and territorial governments in the development of policies

We are adding “provincial and territorial governments” because it is important to consult those levels of government, which are very important. We have to work in co‑operation with them.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Thank you, Mr. Godin.

As there are no questions, we will proceed with the vote.

(Amendment negatived: nays 6; yeas 5)

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

That brings us to amendment BQ‑41.

Mr. Beaulieu, you have the floor.

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

I move that Bill C‑13, in Clause 22, under “Consultation and information to public”, be amended in point (a) by replacing line 5 on page 15 with the following:

sure public consultation and separate consultations with the provincial and territorial governments in the development of policies

In point (b), by replacing line 9 on page 15 with the following:

public and the provincial and territorial governments relating to those policies and programs

This last substitution is at the very end of the paragraph, which would then read as follows:

The Minister of Canadian Heritage shall take such measures as that Minister considers appropriate to ensure public consultation in the development of policies and review of programs relating to the advancement and the equality of status and use of English and French in Canadian society and shall provide information to the public and the provincial and territorial governments relating to those policies and programs.

I believe it is important to consult the provincial governments and the Government of Quebec rather than ignoring them and encroaching upon provincial jurisdictions. In my opinion, that in no way respects the provinces and the territorial governments.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu.

There being no comments, we can move on to the vote, Madam Clerk.

(Amendment negatived: nays 6; yeas 5)

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

We will now move on to amendment CPC‑35, found on page 113 of the package.

Mr. Godin, you have the floor.

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

Mr. Chair, I move that Bill C‑13, at clause 22, be amended by replacing line 6 on page 15 with the following:

and review of programs relating to the achievement of

In the bill it states, “relating to the advancement and the equality of status”. From our perspective, we are talking about “the achievement of status”. In my opinion, the advancement of status is very philosophical. In the Conservative Party, we are more practical, more pragmatic. The change may make things clearer and easier to interpret.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

There being no other questions or comments, we will now call the vote on amendment CPC‑35 proposed by Mr. Godin.

(Amendment agreed to: yeas 11; nays 0)

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

We will now move on to amendment BQ‑42.

Mr. Beaulieu, you have the floor.

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

Continuing on the theme of consultations, I move that Bill C‑13, in clause 22, be amended by replacing line 8 on page 15 with the following:

—Canadian society and taking into account the specific need to protect the French language in Quebec and its status as the only official language in Quebec and shall provide information to the

It has been said that the federal government had the intention of protecting French, but that needs to be reflected in the legislation.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu.

There being no questions or comments, we will now call the vote on amendment BQ‑42 proposed by Mr. Beaulieu.

(Amendment negatived: nays 10; yeas 1)

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

This brings us to the end of consideration of clause 22.

Are there any other questions or comments on clause 22?

(Clause 22 as amended agreed to)

(Clause 23)

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

We are now at clause 23.

We will begin with amendment CPC‑36 proposed by Mr. Godin.

Mr. Godin, do you want to present amendment CPC‑36?