Evidence of meeting #15 for Official Languages in the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was president.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

Members speaking

Before the committee

Hon. Shafqat Ali  President of the Treasury Board
Matthews  Secretary of the Treasury Board of Canada, Treasury Board Secretariat

Madeleine Chenette Liberal Thérèse-De Blainville, QC

Yes, please.

The Chair Liberal Yvan Baker

I will ask the clerk to distribute it.

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

We have already sent it to her.

The Chair Liberal Yvan Baker

Okay.

I will suspend the meeting to give the clerk time to distribute the amendment.

The Chair Liberal Yvan Baker

We are resuming the meeting.

Mr. Beaulieu has proposed an amendment.

Did you finish what you wanted to say about your amendment, Mr. Beaulieu?

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

Yes.

The Chair Liberal Yvan Baker

Does anyone else wish to speak on the amendment proposed by Mr. Beaulieu?

Mr. Deschênes-Thériault, you have the floor.

Guillaume Deschênes-Thériault Liberal Madawaska—Restigouche, NB

I would like to propose a subamendment to reword the fourth paragraph. After “That the committee call on the government to take immediate measures to reverse the decline of French”, I would add “in Canada”; then we would keep the comma and the word “including”, followed by the addition proposed by Mr. Beaulieu, and the rest of the paragraph would remain unchanged.

Madeleine Chenette Liberal Thérèse-De Blainville, QC

That is what you are proposing for that paragraph specifically.

Guillaume Deschênes-Thériault Liberal Madawaska—Restigouche, NB

Indeed, this subamendment only targets that paragraph. Now that Mr. Beaulieu has proposed his amendment, I would like to propose adding the words “in Canada”.

The Chair Liberal Yvan Baker

I will ask the clerk to read the wording as it would be amended by Mr. Beaulieu’s amendment and by Mr. Deschênes-Thériault’s subamendment.

The Clerk of the Committee Madeleine Martin

The fourth paragraph would therefore be as follows:

That the committee call on the government to take immediate measures to reverse the decline of French in Canada, including by applying the new asymmetrical approach of the Official Languages Act in favour of French in Quebec, strengthening federal enforcement mechanisms, enhancing support for francophone institutions, and ensuring that official languages obligations are upheld across all departments and agencies.

The Chair Liberal Yvan Baker

Are there any comments on Mr. Deschênes-Thériault’s subamendment?

If there aren’t any, I will ask the clerk to proceed with a recorded vote.

12:55 p.m.

Conservative

Joël Godin Conservative Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC

Mr. Chair, you could simply proceed to a vote by asking if the committee agrees.

(Subamendment agreed to)

The Chair Liberal Yvan Baker

We therefore return to Mr. Beaulieu’s amendment as amended by the subamendment.

Are there any comments on the amended amendment?

1 p.m.

Liberal

Guillaume Deschênes-Thériault Liberal Madawaska—Restigouche, NB

I would like to speak, but it’s not about Mr. Beaulieu’s amendment.

1 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Yvan Baker

For now, we are discussing Mr. Beaulieu’s amendment as it has been amended.

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

Did we not just adopt it?

1 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Yvan Baker

No, it’s the subamendment that has just been adopted, Mr. Beaulieu. Now, your amendment includes Mr. Deschênes-Thériault’s subamendment.

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

Ah, okay. So the clerk read the subamendment as it would be incorporated into my amendment.

1 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Yvan Baker

That’s correct.

The debate now focuses on Mr. Beaulieu’s amendment as amended by Mr. Deschênes-Thériault’s subamendment.

Mr. Godin, you have the floor.

1 p.m.

Conservative

Joël Godin Conservative Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC

Mr. Chair, I ask you to check whether the committee wishes to adopt this amendment.

1 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Yvan Baker

Does the committee wish to adopt Mr. Beaulieu’s amendment as amended?

(Amendment as amended agreed to)

1 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Yvan Baker

We therefore return to the motion as amended.

Are there any comments on the amended motion?

1 p.m.

Liberal

Guillaume Deschênes-Thériault Liberal Madawaska—Restigouche, NB

Yes. I raised my hand earlier to speak. I don’t know whose turn it is.