Official Languages Committee on May 9th, 2024

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

You see, he is still defiant.

Constantly opposing francophones outside Quebec and francophones in Quebec is an endlessly reused old strategy.

I think we defend French everywhere. If underfunding francophone universities is unacceptable outside Quebec, it is even more so within Quebec. We can’t keep having double standards.

In my view, I think Mr. Drouin can’t just give verbal apology. He must also give an apology in writing.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

I noted earlier that Mr. Serré and then Mr. Godin raised their hands to talk about Mr. Beaulieu’s subamendment.

You have the floor, Mr. Serré.

[Marc Serré, Liberal, Nickel Belt, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Let’s be clear, here. We have the minister before us. Members of the opposition are saying that postsecondary is an important subject. They could have moved the motion, the amendment and the subamendment in writing during the second hour, after the minister leaves.

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

I raise a point of order, Mr. Chair.

[Marc Serré, Liberal, Nickel Belt, ON]

No, no, let me speak—

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

I raise a point of order, Mr. Chair.

[Marc Serré, Liberal, Nickel Belt, ON]

No, you’ve already spoken enough, you. Let me speak—

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Wait just a moment, Mr. Serré—

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

Mr. Chair, I raise a point of order—

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

You have the floor, Mr. Godin.

[Marc Serré, Liberal, Nickel Belt, ON]

I’m not done. So—

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Wait just a moment, Mr. Serré—

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

Who has the floor, Mr. Chair?

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Wait just a moment, Mr. Serré.

Mr. Godin, you have the floor.

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

Mr. Chair, I’d like my colleague to withdraw his comments, because he is impugning our intentions. Right now, he is causing us to waste our time, too.

Mr. Chair, I’d like to make a—

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

That is not a point of order.

You have the floor again, Mr. Serré.

[Marc Serré, Liberal, Nickel Belt, ON]

Thank you for setting the record straight, Mr. Chair. Mr. Drouin has apologized four times before this morning. Speaking to the media yesterday, he withdrew his comments, before the caucus meetings.

We are in the midst of an important study on postsecondary education and we have a minister with us. I would also like to remind the opposition that other witnesses also said they disagreed with the statistics that were put forward. I do think we should have a look at this. The minister is with us for another 10 minutes. The motion could have been presented earlier.

Let there be no mistake: Mr. Drouin is a defender of the francophonie the world over, everywhere in Canada and everywhere in Quebec. The political games the opposition is engaging in this morning are clearly irresponsible. Mr. Drouin apologized yesterday. That has been done. Why can we not continue our study? The other witnesses, including Ms. Boyer and Ms. Mondou, will still be with us for the second hour, so why wasn't the motion presented then? I don't understand why we are wasting time on this.

I have one last point. I have attended other parliamentary committees, such as the Standing Committee on the Status of Women, where Conservative MPs outright attacked and insulted witnesses without ever apologizing. So I think the opposition is coming on a bit strong given that the Conservatives constantly attack witnesses at other committees. There are various other examples, if Mr. Godin wishes to continue talking about this.

Right now, we have an important study to complete here. I don't understand why we cannot complete it. Moreover, today's meeting is the last one planned for our study on postsecondary education, which is such an important matter. So let's keep working.

People are proposing amendments and subamendments to motions now, but nothing is in writing. It's a waste of time.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

The subamendment was sent a few minutes ago.

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

If it has not gone to Sudbury.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Thank you, Mr. Serré.

The next person on the list who wanted to speak to the subamendment is Mr. Godin.

You have the floor, Mr. Godin.

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

Mr. Chair, in the interest of consistency, I would like to request a vote on the subamendment, and I will not engage in parliamentary obstruction as my colleague just did.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

A vote on the subamendment has been requested.

Has everyone received the document from our clerk? Did you receive the written versions of the subamendment and the amendment?

I understand you have. Perfect.

Do you have a question, Mr. Beaulieu?

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

I simply want to clarify that we are voting on the elements in my subamendment.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

We are voting on the subamendment, which would add three new elements to the list. They would appear just before items b), c), d) and e), which were previously proposed in Mr. Généreux's motion and which would therefore be shifted to the bottom of the list.

Next we will have to vote on Mr. Généreux's amendment and then on the motion itself.

So we are voting on the subamendment. If memory serves me, the elements of Mr. Beaulieu's subamendment are written in blue in the document you have been sent.

Let us now vote.

(Subamendment agreed to: yeas 6; nays 4.)

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Do you have something to say, Mr. Godin?