Official Languages Committee on Sept. 25th, 2025

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

I'd like to point out that the Bloc Québécois has been raising this issue for years. All the federal government has done so far is strengthen English and anglicize Quebec. The Official Languages Act anglicizes Quebec because its official language support programs subsidize English almost exclusively. French is declining. The more time we waste like this, the more it will decline and less will be done to address that.

I agree that we should finish the education continuum study, but then we'll have the AI study and everything else. Ministers will send us their availability, and their appearances might happen right in the middle of our studies.

In short, my position remains the same, and I'd like us to vote if nobody else has anything to add.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yvan Baker]

If there are no further comments, let's vote.

(Amendment negatived: nays 8; yeas 1)

[The Chair, Liberal, Yvan Baker]

Mr. Beaulieu, you have the floor.

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

Thank you.

We agree with recommendation (b), pertaining to interpreters. However, we know a new contract is going to be signed. Interpreters and the International Association of Conference Interpreters are concerned about this new measure because it will probably have fewer requirements. Interpretation quality, which often leaves something to be desired as it is, will further decline, so we must address this urgently.

Once we've voted on the main motion, it will be very difficult to amend this specific recommendation, so I suggest we modify it now by replacing “as soon as possible” with “no later than Tuesday, October 7”. We can send that amendment in writing if you want.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yvan Baker]

The clerk would like your amendment in writing.

Is that all, Mr. Beaulieu?

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

Yes.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yvan Baker]

Would anyone like to speak to Mr. Beaulieu's proposal?

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

I'd like the analyst to help me find the recommendation, which I don't see in the report.

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

We emailed it.

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

Okay. Sorry, I was confused. As I said earlier, these are our first meetings, and I have to get back into the swing of things.

I agree with my colleague, and I'm glad I put forward this recommendation to study the interpreter situation and emphasize how important it is for parliamentarians to have access to their services. As long as we have a Canadian Parliament and a bilingual, French and English country, I think all parliamentarians should have access to interpretation services.

In recent years, we've seen these services decline in quantity, though not in quality. Also, we learned this summer that the government launched a bidding process that, as my Bloc Québécois colleague said, could tie our hands as of January 2026, based on my understanding. I think it's important to deal with this.

I'm the one who put forward this recommendation, so I agree with my colleague, but we need some flexibility to replace the October 7 date with a later date. We may have to check with the clerk to see when the ministers are available before we lock that date in.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yvan Baker]

Thank you, Mr. Godin.

Ms. Chenette, you have the floor.

[Madeleine Chenette, Liberal, Thérèse-De Blainville, QC]

Once again, we're in favour of having that discussion about interpreters, which is a very important issue to all of us.

I share my colleague's concern about the October 7 date. Obviously this has to happen in October, but we need some flexibility around scheduling the meeting. We can see when the witnesses are available because a lot of things are happening at once.

We're ready to talk about it.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yvan Baker]

Mr. Godin, you have the floor.

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

My colleague has invited me to consult the calendar. We must remember that today is September 25. The committee will not meet on September 30, but will meet on October 2 and 7. We must also check the dates on which Minister Guilbeault and Minister Ali are required to appear, but that will be before October 7. Mathematically, what my colleague from the Bloc is proposing is therefore impossible. That is why I suggest extending the deadline to Thursday, October 23, but without limiting myself to that date.

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

We could agree on a date between October 7 and October 23.

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

Yes, absolutely. I am open to that.

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

There is a good chance that the ministers will refuse the proposed dates or delay their appearance, as we have seen in the past. So, we could say that the goal is to hold the meeting before October 7.

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

Excuse me, Mr. Chair, I misled the committee: The ministers must appear before November 7, not before October 7.

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

So, if we want more flexibility, we can set the deadline for October 16, or indicate that this is a target date.

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

There is no parliamentary business during the week of October 13. How about October 21?

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

Agreed. So the meeting must be held no later than Tuesday, October 21.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yvan Baker]

Before we continue, I want to clarify what you are proposing. You are proposing that the meeting regarding interpreters be held no later than October 21.

Mr. Deschênes‑Thériault, you have the floor.

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

I believe this is in line with what was proposed to the subcommittee. There was talk of holding this meeting in early October, between two meetings of the study on the education continuum. That way, we would have time to invite additional witnesses to this study, if we wished to do so.

I therefore support my colleague Mr. Beaulieu’s proposal to hold the meeting on interpreters by October 21.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yvan Baker]

Mr. Beaulieu, you have the floor.

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

It would be preferable to hold the meeting before October 21, because there is a risk that October 21 will be too late. If the government adopts its new rules before October 21, we are told that it will be too late. The die will be cast.