Official Languages Committee on Feb. 26th, 2026

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

I agree. It's not one or the other.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yvan Baker]

Thank you, Ms. Chenette.

I'll now go to Mr. Beaulieu for two and a half minutes.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Normand, you say that clear guidance is needed on the federal government's new obligations with respect to post-secondary education.

Can you give us more concrete examples of what you think would be satisfactory regulations?

[Martin Normand]

First, innovation should be encouraged in the development of positive measures. I think there is potential for positive measures to be taken in a number of federal institutions, which could have an effect on post-secondary education.

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

Can you give us a concrete example?

[Martin Normand]

A concrete example would be to go back in time and act on the inequities in scientific research in French. This has been documented for five years.

In the coming weeks, we will receive a report from an external advisory working group on research in French. Once again, the report will make recommendations that we have been hearing for at least five years. We need to have a way to tell federal institutions that they have to act on the recommendations.

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

You say that research funds outside Quebec fall under federal jurisdiction.

Is that correct?

[Martin Normand]

Yes.

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

The federal government is entirely free to act, but is not doing so.

Is that correct?

[Martin Normand]

Absolutely.

There are plenty of reports documenting structural inequities.

The first thing is to call for innovation. The second is that data collection and analyses done in federal institutions must be made public so that we have equal opportunities in consultations.

There is a structural inequity that arises in consultation exercises if the federal government has a whole array of data in its hands that the community party does not have when it takes part.

If federal institutions already have analyses right now on the performance or role of post-secondary institutions in achieving federal objectives, I want to see them so that I can take part in consultations and discussions on an equal footing with federal institutions.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yvan Baker]

You have 30 seconds, Mr. Beaulieu.

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

The widespread dissatisfaction and all that must be taken into account.

How can we push the government to take this into account and take action?

[Martin Normand]

In terms of consultations, there is a whole list of good citizen participation practices that the Treasury Board Secretariat should look at.

We need to resume the consultation exercise seriously and with expectations for results, as we should have done for any other official languages initiative under the Official Languages Act.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yvan Baker]

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu.

I'll pass the floor to Mr. Godin for five minutes.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Ms. Enayeh and Ms. Boutiyeb, you said that intersectionality shouldn't be downplayed.

I'll switch it around.

Doesn't including the concept in the regulations make it more restrictive rather than easier for you?

[Nour Enayeh]

It's not about downplaying intersectionality. It's about downplaying francophone women or official languages in intersectionality.

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

How does intersectionality fit into the regulations?

[Soukaina Boutiyeb]

The fact of clearly mentioning it first provides a guideline for how intersectionality should be practised within departments.

Currently, the Official Languages Act includes GBA plus, but there is no complementary approach in terms of practices for the departments. Regulations would give departments something stronger and more concrete.

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

I understand. Then it's a restriction to protect the fusion.

[Soukaina Boutiyeb]

That's correct.

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

I am going to continue in the same vein as my colleague Ms. Chenette, when she spoke earlier about extending strategies to the various departments.

Mr. Normand, you said that, for the past five years, scientific data has shown that there are problems. Honestly, you can't put the toothpaste back in the tube. I think we have to look to the future.

I think there has to be a very specific element in the regulations to apply this reflex and obligation to all departments and agencies. It's not a matter of listing a few departments.

It would be up to the departments to provide the data. I think it should be in the regulations to ensure that we achieve our objective. Each department must implement positive measures to help linguistic minorities, in French and English.

[Martin Normand]

I would have to reread it, but my impression is that the regulations apply to all federal institutions indefinitely. The fact that there is no list seems to imply as much. In addition, it forces departments that may never have had this reflex on official languages to look into it and see if there are any possible actions that are relevant to the communities.

I'll give you an example.

We recently saw in the media that the federal government wants to set up a naval base in Baie‑Comeau or Moncton. What does it mean to set up a National Defence naval base in Moncton? It would deliberately be set up there. Francophones live there.

What does that mean in terms of access to health services and adding child care spaces and spaces in primary, secondary and post-secondary educational programs?

It can take many other forms. However, it can't be said that these structuring decisions have no effect on official languages. We have to get rid of the old ways that make some federal institutions think, time and time again, that official languages are the responsibility of Canadian Heritage and not theirs.

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

Canadian Heritage is not responsible for it, Treasury Board is. As set out in the act, it has the obligation to do so in partnership.

[Martin Normand]

It's in partnership. However, if we approach federal institutions, they refer us to Canadian Heritage, not Treasury Board.

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

They don't refer you to the right place. That's where the confusion lies.