Official Languages Committee on Feb. 10th, 2026

[Kelly Burke]

Yes.

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

Okay.

Before going any further on the act, I'm going to continue my questions while treating this as a hiring process.

Have you ever been involved, as an activist, contributor or employee, regardless of status, in any political party?

[Kelly Burke]

No, never.

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

Okay.

Are there things we should know and that you would like to tell us so that there are no surprises after your appointment and we are not disappointed?

[Kelly Burke]

No.

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

Okay, I'm reassured.

I'll go back to official languages. When we were studying Bill C‑13's project to modernize the Official Languages Act, one of the problems we raised, along with other committee members, was that it was hard to impose measures on the federal government and all departments to respect, protect and promote both official languages. In addition, it was proposed that the government as a whole, including the Privy Council and all departments, should impose an obligation of result to improve the use of the most vulnerable official language of the two, French.

Since you say you are familiar with the act, who in the federal government do you think should be responsible for enforcing it and imposing an obligation of result?

I hope the Liberals have put it in the act, because it's one of the major problems that have been raised.

[Kelly Burke]

Based on my reading of the act, I see that there is a shared responsibility between the Treasury Board office and Canadian Heritage.

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

You read it very carefully.

[Kelly Burke]

It is often hard to distinguish between who takes the lead and who follows. I think that's one of the things I noted. We will have to clarify who does what, who is accountable and where the record is that will enable either Canadian Heritage or Treasury Board to properly inform the public about the progress that has been made since the act was implemented.

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

If you become commissioner, how will you be able to apply the necessary pressure? We understand that you don't have the power to impose anything, but you do have the power to suggest things. When there is a majority, I think the government can listen to reason.

How are you going to go about convincing the government to assign responsibility either to Treasury Board or to Canadian Heritage? Right now, no one is taking the lead, and it's all in limbo. How could you take action as commissioner?

[The Chair, Liberal, Yvan Baker]

You have one minute left, Mr. Godin.

[Kelly Burke]

I could point out the fact that the lack of clarity on the issue leads to ambiguity and potentially infringes on rights. That was the argument I put forward in Ontario as well, that we have to determine who does what and how they do it. That is what I intend to do, if ever I am given the position of commissioner. We must point out the consequences of not sufficiently describing who is responsible for what and how to achieve results.

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

Lastly, you spoke to my colleague from Prescott—Russell—Cumberland about your responsibilities in Ontario. Now you're going to become the Commissioner of Official Languages of Canada. How are you going to be able to switch hats? You were in one small province. I'm not saying that to insult Ontario, which is the most populous province, but it is small compared to the country of Canada. How are you going to be able to switch hats?

[The Chair, Liberal, Yvan Baker]

Ms. Burke, the time is almost up, so I would really ask you to give a quick answer.

[Kelly Burke]

It's not switching hats, on the contrary. In my role in Ontario, I also co-chaired the Ministerial Conference on the Canadian Francophonie. That means that I had to understand the language regimes across the country and learn more about them. I've had the great fortune and opportunity to work with colleagues across the country. Therefore, I don't think the transition will be at all difficult.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yvan Baker]

Thank you, Mr. Godin.

I will now give the floor to Ms. Chenette for five minutes.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Ms. Burke, it's a pleasure to meet you and hear your comments. There are so many questions that come to mind, but I'll ask you the first one.

We've talked a lot about history and what's happened in the past. I'm going to look to the future, because we have to build Canada strong with our two official languages and our two communities.

What changes in our geopolitical and Canadian environment do you think will impact our ability to strengthen our two official languages? Are there levers or are there barriers?

[Kelly Burke]

That's an interesting question. I don't have the exact answer.

However, I can tell you that, in this environment that is stirring things up not only in Canada, but everywhere else, I feel it is essential is to have respect between the provinces, respect for our official languages and respect for the differences that exist across the country and that enrich us. Not only do official languages offer us cultural and identity opportunities, but they also set us apart from others economically, personally and professionally. As long as we can find mutual respect across the country through our official languages, we may be able to address the biggest issues around us, especially geopolitical ones.

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

We know there are a lot of economic development opportunities to come, from eastern to western Canada, with all the provinces and territories, to strengthen our economy and attract foreign investment. There are plenty of opportunities for us to grow our francophone community in Canada, and there may also be risks in that regard.

To increase accountability among communities and build respect, that respect has to come from both sides, meaning the francophone and anglophone communities. However, francophone minority communities also have to exercise their leadership. I've seen an evolution in that sense over the last few years.

What can you do, in your role, to ensure this francophone leadership is even stronger across the country?

[Kelly Burke]

First, we have to encourage people to assert their language rights and insist that services be provided in French, so francophones can assume a substantial role.

That said, francophone immigration is increasingly one of Canada's main priorities for the future. We need to have the tools to properly integrate newcomers. We have to ensure that not only they integrate well at school and work, but that they can also live and develop as a community.

I see opportunities in that area. Francophones must do more to highlight the major contributions they've already made and the ones to come. Francophones have a lot to contribute across the country, but they often need motivation to do so.

That means we have to get together and discuss the relevance of our approach to enable francophones to feel that there is an identity, a belonging and a future they can identify with.

As I said, I don't have all the answers, but it's something to think about, and I can work with you on the big challenges ahead.

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

Trust is earned, but it's easy to lose. As others have mentioned, it's important for a commissioner to continue influencing the government into doing what it needs to do.

Based on your leadership style, what leads you to believe you can be influential and indispensable? Also, how will you ensure your teams are also influential and indispensable?

[The Chair, Liberal, Yvan Baker]

Ms. Burke, you have 25 seconds left to answer.

[Kelly Burke]

I've always had influence in the teams I've led, because I'm also a member of the team. People usually respect the office, but it's more than that. Knowledge is what will enable us to influence the system. The office must always rely on knowledge; the expertise must be there. So we have to protect this office at all costs and ensure that everyone who works there can take training to increase their knowledge in this area.

The time is right to develop that expertise, because it's brand new. The new version of the Official Languages Act will offer many opportunities to be creative in developing best practices that can be applied across the country. For instance, the new powers we've been granted could lead to a better compliance with the act.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yvan Baker]

Thank you, Ms. Burke. Ms. Chenette's time has expired, so I have to stop you there.

We will now begin the fourth round of questions.

Mr. Bélanger, you have the floor for five minutes.

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

Good morning, and thank you.

I'll come back to a topic that I'm very interested in, which is post-secondary education.

It is said that in order to promote francophone culture, people have to live in French. Post-secondary institutions in my region play an important role in the vitality of francophone minority communities. According to Statistics Canada, a person is more likely to work in French when they attend post-secondary education in French.

What do we need to do to increase access to post-secondary education in French and establish a true continuum of education in French?