Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Good afternoon, my name is Eric Prud'homme. I am the director, Québec and Atlantic Government Relations for the Canadian Bankers Association, or CBA. My colleague, Christian Petit‑Frère, the CBA's senior legal counsel, is joining me today.
We thank you for this opportunity to discuss the draft regulations on the use of French in federally regulated private businesses.
Before we proceed, I would like to inform you that, late yesterday afternoon, we made the same presentation to the Standing Senate Committee on Official Languages.
We welcomed the introduction to Parliament of the draft regulations on the use of French in federally regulated private businesses by the Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages.
The CBA states once again that the banks acknowledge the importance of Canada's two official languages and that they do their very best to serve their clients in the language of their choice anywhere in Canada. The banks also recognize the critical importance for francophone employees to be able to work in French when they work in a region with a strong francophone presence.
The banks have always done their best to respond to their clients' language preferences. In the regions with a strong francophone presence, such as Quebec, of course, but also New Brunswick and eastern Ontario, the major Canadian banks are already offering personal services in French.
Furthermore, clients anywhere in Canada can access service in French by telephone, online and by using web platforms. Today, more than ever before, the banks' huge investments in technology have put a greater number of simple and practical ways to access financial products and services at the disposal of francophone and anglophone clients. These investments have demonstrably increased the way in which the banks communicate and interact with their clients and conduct their internal operations. As a result, francophone clients can access certain banking documents in French from wherever they are.
Studies show that most consumers use online banking services and banking applications. These technological advances allow them to conduct their banking from anywhere in the country. In parallel, traditional bank branches located in rural communities, both small and large, are still important in Canada's banking network.
The banking sector has lived up to its commitments in terms of the availability of products and services in French and of francophone positions, whether in Quebec or in other parts of Canada.
We feel that it is reasonable for organizations like banks to have a degree of flexibility in applying language requirements to match the nature, the scope and the complexity of their activities, their distribution channels, and the products and services they provide. It must also be remembered that small and medium-sized banks do not have the resources that the larger banks can deploy in response to certain requirements.
Nevertheless, the banking sector is aware of the importance of offering good-quality, well-paying jobs in francophone communities. It will not hesitate to do so when suitable candidates are available to fill them.
We note that some very small areas in some provinces are designated as regions with a strong francophone presence. In those areas, it may well be even more difficult to recruit suitable candidates for certain positions. In future revisions of these legislative provisions, therefore, we recommend tightening the criteria used to designate an area as a region with a strong francophone presence.
As for human resources, the members of our association are in favour of the provisions on exemptions. Nevertheless, our association recommends flexibility in the matter of supervising francophone employees in regions with a strong francophone presence, taking into account the uniqueness of each situation.
Finally, before the requirements come into force, it is essential that there be an implementation period that gives enough time to adapt systems, to train staff and to hire additional employees.
Thank you.