Official Languages Committee on Dec. 11th, 2025

[Guillaume Deschênes-Thériault, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yvan Baker]

Thank you, Mr. Deschênes‑Thériault.

Colleagues, we have a few minutes left. We have time for a third round of questions, but a slightly shorter one.

There are three members on the list: Mr. Bélanger, Mr. Villeneuve and Mr. Beaulieu.

Mr. Bélanger and Mr. Villeneuve, I'll give you two minutes and 30 seconds each. Mr. Beaulieu, I'll give you a minute and 15 seconds.

Mr. Bélanger, go ahead, please.

[Jim Belanger, Conservative, Sudbury East—Manitoulin—Nickel Belt, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you to the Commissioner and to our other witnesses today.

We all agree that the Prime Minister plays an important role and that he must be able to express himself in both official languages. It is important to promote the French language within our institutions.

I'm interested in improving bilingualism. I'm trying to understand where we are today to get an idea of the future.

What proportion of federal public servants are sufficiently bilingual to receive the bilingualism bonus?

[Raymond Théberge]

I don't have those figures, but we can certainly find them for you. I don't know them off the top of my head.

[Jim Belanger, Conservative, Sudbury East—Manitoulin—Nickel Belt, ON]

Let's take the example of a region like mine, Greater Sudbury. If I go to Service Canada offices and want to be served in the official language of my choice, meaning French, what percentage of employees could do so?

Let's say there are six employees. How many of them should be bilingual?

[Raymond Théberge]

I don't think there's a formula. I think that, in an office, the possibility has to be there. Employees have to be able to respond to clients or the public in the official language of their choice.

I believe that, in an office like the Service Canada office in Sudbury, there have to be a number of bilingual people. However, I don't think there's a formula stipulating that, out of so many employees, there must be a specific number of bilingual ones.

That said, the institution must be able to provide services in both languages.

[Jim Belanger, Conservative, Sudbury East—Manitoulin—Nickel Belt, ON]

Let me flip it around. Let's say I'm in Quebec City. What are the chances that I will be served in English?

[The Chair, Liberal, Yvan Baker]

You have 30 seconds.

[Raymond Théberge]

Listen, Mr. Beaulieu.

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

Go ahead. It's better that way.

[Jim Belanger, Conservative, Sudbury East—Manitoulin—Nickel Belt, ON]

Are there any positions in the federal government that don't have to be bilingual?

[Raymond Théberge]

Yes, absolutely. There's a whole series of positions that are designated unilingual in certain regions.

[Jim Belanger, Conservative, Sudbury East—Manitoulin—Nickel Belt, ON]

If you don't work with the public and if you don't provide service to the public, your position might not be designated bilingual.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yvan Baker]

Thank you, Mr. Bélanger.

I now give the floor to Mr. Villeneuve for two minutes and 30 seconds.

[Louis Villeneuve, Liberal, Brome—Missisquoi, QC]

Thank you.

Good morning, Mr. Théberge. Thank you for being here this morning.

I'm a new member of Parliament. This is the first time we've spoken. I'm really going to give you a lot of my time. Since this is your last appearance before the Standing Committee on Official Languages as Commissioner—you never know, you may come back to it in another capacity—do you have a specific message to leave us with or any advice to keep in mind to protect and promote our two official languages?

[Raymond Théberge]

Thank you.

I think what's extremely important is to recognize that the Official Languages Act exists because communities use the official languages.

Having an Official Languages Act solely to have a bilingual federal government is one thing, but the act exists to ensure the development and sustainability of our official language minority communities. It is therefore extremely important to take the necessary steps to ensure the development of our communities, whether through the action plan or through a modernized act with robust regulations to ensure implementation, which will have benefits.

In addition, over the next eight years, it will be extremely important to assess the impact of the Official Languages Act on the communities. In 2033, the act is supposed to be reviewed. We need to start today. We need to have indicators of what the effects of this legislation will be on our communities.

They will always evolve. My community, the one I knew when I was a little guy in Saint-Anne-des-Chênes, Manitoba, no longer exists. Other francophone communities exist. We have to be on the lookout for these changes. The act, programs and policies need to evolve with the communities.

In closing, bilingualism and official languages are all part of Canada's DNA. The two languages have coexisted on this territory, along with first nations languages, for 400 years now. That will always make Canada what it is.

Not only can we not overlook that, but we need to embrace it. We need to recognize the richness of our languages and the importance of French in Canada.

[Louis Villeneuve, Liberal, Brome—Missisquoi, QC]

Thank you.

My time is up.

In that case, thank you, Mr. Théberge.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yvan Baker]

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve.

Mr. Beaulieu is up next.

Mr. Beaulieu, you have the floor for one minute and 15 seconds.

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

Thank you.

Not long ago, we heard from the President of the Treasury Board, Shafqat Ali, and he didn't speak French.

Do you find that acceptable?

[Raymond Théberge]

As I was saying earlier, and I'll repeat myself again and play the tape back, I think it's important for any leader to be able to communicate in both official languages. I would like to think that, eventually, the President of the Treasury Board will be able to express himself in both official languages.

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

It's all the more surprising since he told us that he spoke six languages, but not French. This shows that, for him, it's not a priority.

Personally, I think what we're seeing is pathetic. For example, a press conference was held on the Defence Investment Agency in only one language, English, and there was no interpretation.

Is that normal?

[Raymond Théberge]

It is not normal, and we received a complaint about it.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yvan Baker]

You have 20 seconds left.

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

In that case, I would like to take this opportunity to say that you often repeat that myths must be debunked. However, to me, those who say that anglophones are poorer than francophones are really perpetuating a myth.

They use language indicators that produce these results, such as the median and FOLS, first official language spoken. However, if we rely on the language used at home or the language of work, the result is reversed. Anglophones have a clear advantage.

What do you think, do you agree with that?

[Raymond Théberge]

I'll leave that matter to the statisticians.