Official Languages Committee on March 31st, 2023

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

We are now moving to clause 60.

(Clause 60 is agreed to)

(Clause 61)

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

And now on to clause 61.

(Clause 61 is agreed to)

(Clause 62)

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

We have now reached clause 62 and amendment BQ‑86.

Do you wish to move it, Mr. Beaulieu?

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

No, I won't be moving it.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

All right.

And we are now at amendment CPC‑68.

Mr. Godin, you have the floor.

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

Mr. Chair, I will move this amendment, which is suggested by one of my colleagues from British Columbia.

I move that Bill C-13, in clause 62, be amended in item (a) by replacing lines 33 to 35 on page 59 with the following:

“the Governor in Council shall take into account the following factors, as well as any factors that the Governor in Council considers appropriate:”

I further move that this bill, in the same clause, be amended in item (b) by replacing line 2 on page 60 with the following:

nority communities, including the institutional vitality of the French linguistic minority community of the region, which could be established, among other factors, by the presence or absence of a public elementary or secondary school, a cultural or community centre or other institutions belonging to that minority; and (d) the offer of services in French by federal institutions under Part IV of the Official Languages Act.

I think it's important for our francophone minorities outside of Quebec that we think about them. It's an additional tool, and we know that organizations in British Columbia are fighting very hard and they often have the wind in their face. I think this proposal would give them an additional tool.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Are there any questions?

Since there are none, we will proceed to a vote, Madam Clerk, on amendment CPC-68.

(Amendment negatived: nays 6; yeas 5.)

(Clauses 62 through 69 agreed to)

(Clause 70)

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

This brings us to clause 70.

Mr. Beaulieu, you have the floor on amendment BQ-87.

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

I do not move it.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Okay.

(Clause 70 agreed to)

(Clause 71)

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

We'll move on to amendment NDP-16.

Ms. Ashton, you have the floor.

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

I will propose it and, in order to move forward quickly, as we are doing, I hope we will receive the committee members' support.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Just to be clear, we are dealing with the first amendment. We are on page 224.1 of the document bundle. The reference number is 12290446.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Ms. Ashton, go ahead.

[Marc Serré, Liberal, Nickel Belt, ON]

Mr. Chair, I think Ms. Boyer would like to say something.

[Julie Boyer]

Mr. Chair, could the question be repeated?

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Yes, Ms. Boyer.

However, I will let Ms. Ashton finish her remarks. I will then give you the floor.

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

Mr. Chair, what we want to emphasize is the following passage:

Requiring an employee to have a knowledge of a language other than French does not constitute adverse treatment...if the federally regulated private business is able to demonstrate that a knowledge of that language is objectively required by reason of the nature of the work to be performed by the employee [if the business has taken all reasonable steps to avoid requiring knowledge of that language].

There are a number of other clauses.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

I think Ms. Boyer wanted to add a comment on that.

Ms. Boyer, is there anything you would like to add?

Also, Mr. Beaulieu had a question about the effect on the act.

Mr. Beaulieu, was your question for Ms. Boyer?

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

Yes, Mr. Chair.

I was trying to understand because it deletes several things. We are not going to give a blank check, we want to understand.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Ms. Boyer, go ahead.

[Julie Boyer]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I will let my colleagues, Mr. Fallu, answer that question.

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

Earlier, the committee voted, in clause 36, to provide order-making authority for certain provisions of part VII of the Official Languages Act. Amendment NDP‑16 makes this order-making authority effective, by order of the Governor in Council.

An order in council for a power like this, on a part that is so broad, may allow time for preparation by the commissioner or by various federal institutions. As I understand it, that is what NDP‑16 does.

That said, at the rate things have been going—

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

We just need to take the time. I'm going to vote against this amendment if—

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

I understand, Mr. Beaulieu, but you asked me to do things quickly, and that is what I have done.

Amendment NDP‑16 is a continuation of amendment NDP‑13, which we passed, if you want to refer to it.

Mr. Godin, you have the floor.