Official Languages Committee on Feb. 12th, 2026

[Carsten Quell]

I'll take note of your proposal. We'll give it due consideration when we draw up the regulations. I'll invite my colleague to elaborate on this.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yvan Baker]

There are 20 seconds left.

[Annie Proulx]

We must take into account the specific context and objectives of each agreement. However, the draft regulations specify that the content of the provisions must be based on an analysis, which takes into account a variety of factors.

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

I don't have a problem with that.

I just want to know one thing. In addition to the analysis, when you meet with the provinces, you must propose provisions. I would like to see public disclosure of these proposed provisions in the agreements negotiated between Canada and the provinces.

I appreciate your open‑mindedness, Mr. Quell. Thank you for taking note of this. I look forward to reading it in the next version of the regulations.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yvan Baker]

Thank you, Mr. Godin.

Ms. Chenette, you have the floor for two minutes.

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

Thank you.

I'm pleased to welcome the witnesses.

I would like to ask a quick question to clarify things. You talk about the importance of consultation and organizations. This week, the FCFA appeared before a Senate committee. During the appearance, the executive director claimed that TBS consulted with the FCFA only twice, which doesn't sound like much.

Is this the case, or were there more consultations?

[Vidya ShankarNarayan]

I'll start by answering the question. I'll then let my colleagues have their say.

We consulted with all minority communities, including the FCFA, Talking.Advocating.Living in Québec and many others. Just this morning, we had a discussion. It wasn't a formal consultation. However, we invited all the minority communities to speak with our whole‑of‑government assistant deputy ministers' committee.

This gave us the opportunity to receive recommendations and to continue with our consultations. One recommendation was to have a whole‑of‑government assistant deputy ministers' subcommittee to properly develop partnership agreements.

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

My time is running out. I asked you whether there had been more consultations, and if so, how many. I don't want to know the context.

[Vidya ShankarNarayan]

We'll give you the information. Ms. Proulx can answer your question.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yvan Baker]

You have 40 seconds left.

[Annie Proulx]

We've met with over 60 organizations since we began working on the regulations. We've met with the FCFA over a dozen times.

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

Okay.

I don't have much time left.

You said that we must respect the regulations and that we can't go any further than this. However, during the consultations, what did you hear that didn't directly concern the regulations, but that could be another useful mechanism to implement?

[The Chair, Liberal, Yvan Baker]

There are five seconds left. Please answer in one sentence.

[Carsten Quell]

We took into account the many proposals submitted to us.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yvan Baker]

Thank you.

Mr. Beaulieu, you have the floor for one minute.

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

You said earlier that the consultations were continuing and that you would be reworking your draft regulations.

Is that right?

If so, will the draft regulations come back to the committee so that you can show them to us?

Roughly how much time do we have, and what form might the subsequent consultations take?

[Carsten Quell]

We've completed the first round of consultations required by the act.

We're currently in the process of having parliamentary committees study the regulations. I'm hearing proposals here. We'll consider them. We're also waiting for community stakeholders to submit briefs.

The regulations will then be published in the Canada Gazette, part I. A public consultation period will follow. The general public will also have an opportunity to make proposals.

After this whole process, the Governor in Council will adopt the regulations.

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

Okay.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yvan Baker]

Your time is up, Mr. Beaulieu. I'm sorry.

Mr. Godin, you have the floor for two minutes.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Throughout the text, we see many references—four or five, at a glance—to “other stakeholders”. The text refers to francophone and anglophone minority communities. For example, the second paragraph of section 5, paragraph (a), refers to English and French linguistic minority communities and then adds “and other stakeholders”. This is repeated several times, in particular in paragraph (b).

Why add “other stakeholders”? This concerns the Official Languages Act. This act contains two languages, English and French.

This addition doesn't reflect the act. Why add this?

[Carsten Quell]

The reason is that the new part VII of the act contains provisions on support for minority language communities.

It also contains a provision on the protection and promotion of French and a provision on the learning of the minority language. I'm thinking of organizations such as Canadian Parents for French and French for the Future. These stakeholders wouldn't necessarily fit under the heading of minority communities.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yvan Baker]

Mr. Godin, you have 40 seconds left.

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

We don't put descriptions of specific organizations in the act. In my opinion, the purpose of the Official Languages Act is to protect the country's two official languages. That's the point of the act. The regulations shouldn't go against this act.

There's never any reference to other stakeholders, other groups. Why do we see this in the regulations?

[Carsten Quell]

We're taking note of your question. We'll certainly take it into consideration.

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

Thank you. That's kind of you.

Paragraph 6(2)(d), the last point, reads as follows:

(d) if possible, after providing the written summary, provide the English and French linguistic minority communities and other stakeholders that participated in the exchange with an opportunity to submit further information in writing.

Why include the words “if possible”? When is it not possible?