Official Languages Committee on March 31st, 2023

Evidence of meeting #56 for Official Languages in the 44th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was move.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

Bill C-13

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Warren Newman Senior General Counsel, Constitutional, Administrative and International Law Section, Public Law and Legislative Services Sector, Department of Justice

Julie Boyer Assistant Deputy Minister, Official Languages, Heritage and Regions, Department of Canadian Heritage

Karim Adam Director, Oversight and Compliance, Official Languages Centre of Excellence, People and Culture, Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer, Treasury Board Secretariat

Chantal Terrien Manager, Modernization of the Official Languages Act, Department of Canadian Heritage

Marcel Fallu Manager, Modernization of the Official Languages Act, Department of Canadian Heritage

Émilie Thivierge Clerk of the Committee

2:15 p.m.

Liberal

Marc Serré Liberal Nickel Belt, ON

Yes, I'll move it.

2:15 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal René Arseneault

Is there unanimous consent to adopt amendment LIB‑42.1?

2:15 p.m.

Some hon. members

Yes.

2:15 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal René Arseneault

(Amendment agreed to)

2:15 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal René Arseneault

Good. Thank you.

We'll go now to amendment BQ‑73.

Mr. Beaulieu, Would you like to move it?

2:15 p.m.

Bloc

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

No, I won't move it.

2:15 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal René Arseneault

You aren't going to move it. Is that right?

2:15 p.m.

Bloc

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

Yes, that's correct.

2:15 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal René Arseneault

We'll go now to amendment LIB‑43.

Do you want to move it, Mr. Housefather?

2:15 p.m.

Liberal

Anthony Housefather Liberal Mount Royal, QC

Yes, Mr. Chair. This simply creates equal acquired rights for employees so that we do not treat adversely employees who do not speak the other language adequately before the coming-into-force date of this law. It's about the right to require knowledge of a language. Basically, again, this creates a reciprocity in the two clauses that doesn't exist right now.

The goal here is for businesses to have the flexibility to determine what they need in terms of job skills, so we've made very clear what is required in order for a business to say someone needs to know French or English as a job skill. This is an important addition and would create a situation similar to what already exists in Quebec.

Thank you.

2:15 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal René Arseneault

Thank you, Mr. Housefather.

Are there any questions or comments on amendment LIB‑43?

Seeing none, I'll call a vote on amendment LIB‑43.

(Amendment negatived: nays 10; yeas 1.)

2:20 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal René Arseneault

That leads us to amendment BQ‑74.

Mr. Beaulieu, I forgot earlier to point out that if amendment LIB‑42.1 were unanimously adopted, which it was, then amendment BQ‑74 could not be moved owing to a line conflict.

2:20 p.m.

Bloc

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

Okay.

2:20 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal René Arseneault

All right.

I wanted to point that out in the interest of transparency. I should have mentioned it earlier, but as the amendment was adopted unanimously and I'd been asked to proceed more quickly, I forgot this detail. Fortunately, I'm in good company here and was reminded.

Amendment BQ‑74 can therefore not be moved, because we adopted amendment LIB‑42 unanimously. I wanted to make this clear.

We'll go now to amendment LIB‑43.1.

Mr. Serré, would you like to move it?

2:20 p.m.

Liberal

Marc Serré Liberal Nickel Belt, ON

Yes, I'll move it.

2:20 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal René Arseneault

Is there unanimous consent to adopt amendment LIB‑43.1?

2:20 p.m.