Debates of April 1st, 2008

Opposition motion—Compliance with the Charter of the French Language regarding enterprises under federal jurisdiction located in Quebec

[Réal Ménard, Bloc, Hochelaga, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we have not integrated that minority. That minority is a founding minority that all Quebeckers recognize for its contributions throughout the province's history.

The difference is that as far back as 1977, if I am not mistaken, René Lévesque proposed a reciprocity agreement at the St. Andrews conference. During the 1995 referendum, Lucien Bouchard proposed a common institution that would give English Canada and Quebec mutual oversight over their respective minorities—anglophones in Quebec and francophones in the rest of Canada.

However, it is clear that the imbalance is so great as to defy comparison. Unfortunately, some parts of Canada would have suffered if not for the court challenges program that the Conservatives decided to eliminate. Shame on the Conservatives for abolishing the court challenges program, considering all of the anglophone and francophone minorities who have had to go to court to fight for their rights.

That is not how things work in Quebec because the National Assembly and the province's governments have shouldered their responsibilities.

[Pauline Picard, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, today, the Bloc Québécois presented a motion that reads as follows:

That, in the opinion of the House, following the recognition of the Quebec nation by this House, the government should move from words to deeds and propose measures to solidify that recognition, including compliance with the language of labour relations of Quebec’s Charter of the French language regarding [workers of] enterprises under federal jurisdiction located in Quebec.

When the Conservative government made the decision to formally recognize the Quebec nation, it led the House of Commons to readily recognize that nation's attributes, including its language, culture and integration model.

If the federal government would truly recognize the Quebec nation, and not just in words, it would respect the language of that nation and it would support Bill C-482, which was presented by the Bloc Québécois to amend the Canada Labour Code, and which is currently going through the parliamentary process.

According to the most recent data released by the Office québécois de la langue française on the language used in the workplace, one quarter of the population on the island of Montreal works in English. Among anglophones, it is three quarters of the labour force.

The Minister of Canadian Heritage, Status of Women and Official Languages keeps refusing to answer a very simple question: When will she finally recognize that French is being threatened in Quebec and ensure that her government stops contributing to this decline?

It is clear that the Conservative government used the recognition of the Quebec nation to try to win Quebeckers' confidence. Once that recognition was a done deed, that was good enough for the government, and that recognition did not change anything.

However, the government can and must act. It can do so either by supporting Bill C-482, or by supporting our motion. In the first instance, it would have to comply with Bill 101 when implementing the Canada Labour Code in Quebec, in order to improve the situation regarding the language of work in Quebec. In the second instance, it would have to propose measures to give concrete expression to this recognition.

In reply to each of the Bloc Québécois' questions, the Minister of Canadian Heritage, Status of Women and Official Languages indicated that her government promotes bilingualism in Canada and not just French in Quebec. In reality, she encourages bilingualism in Quebec and thus weakens the French language. This explanation alone supports the fact that only the Bloc Québécois defends Quebec's values and interests in Ottawa.

We are asking that the federal government recognize and respect the Charter of the French Language in Quebec primarily with respect to the language of work in businesses that fall under federal jurisdiction, that it exempt Quebec from its multiculturalism policy and that it delegate to Quebec responsibility for regulating broadcasting and telecommunications.

Anyone who looks at the mandate of the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages will read the following:

[It] works to protect language rights by overseeing the application of the Official Languages Act by the federal government. It also promotes Canada’s official languages and respect for linguistic duality, which is a fundamental part of our national identity.

There are two important aspects: protecting language rights and promoting the official languages.

According to data from the last census released in December 2007, it seems that the French language has lost ground throughout Canada, including Quebec, even though a greater number of immigrants than before speak French at home. What is the government doing about this? Even though the number of people with French as their mother tongue rose between 2001 and 2006, their relative weight declined and these individuals only represent 22.1% of the population, Statistics Canada revealed.

The same is true for the number of francophones, which, between 2001 and 2006, decreased by 5,000. With regard to the population that uses French most often at home, their numbers decreased by 8,000.

Given those statistics, the government must indicate how it plans to fulfill its responsibility to ensure the maintenance and development of official language minority communities. How can the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages fulfill its mission, which includes taking all necessary steps to achieve the three main objectives of the Official Languages Act, including the equality of French and English in Canadian society?

Anyone who visits the commissioner's website can read this and might even be surprised to learn that the current Official Languages Act:

guarantees services in English and in French where required by the Act;

guarantees federal employees the right to work in the official language of their choice in certain regions;

enhances the vitality of English-speaking and French-speaking minority communities and advances the status of English and French in Canadian society.

The situation in Quebec is changing: for the first time since 1976, the number of anglophones in Quebec is on the rise. In 2006, the anglophone population stood at 607,000, up 16,000 from 591,000 in 2001. The rate of growth between 2001 and 2006 was 2.7%, higher than the rate for the francophone population.

First of all, to avoid any ambiguity, it is essential to make it clear in the Official Languages Act that French is the official language of Quebec. We believe it is important to amend the preamble to state that the federal government recognizes French as the official language of Quebec and the common language in Quebec.

That was the statement made in 1974 in section 1 of the statute that would make French the official language of Quebec. That legislation required public utilities and professions to use French to communicate with the public and the government; French was the language of routine communication in government; employees of companies had to be able to communicate with one another and with their superiors in French in the course of carrying out their duties; French had to be used everywhere in business, particularly in business management, company names, public signage, collective agreements and consumer contracts.

Next came the Charter of the French Language, also known as Bill 101, the purpose of which was to make French the language of the government and the law, the language of work, education, communications, trade and business. Quebec governments enforced the legislation in a spirit of fairness and openness, with respect for the institutions of the Quebec English-speaking community and ethnic minorities, whose invaluable contribution to the development of Quebec we recognize.

Recognition of the Charter of the French Language in no way diminishes the rights and privileges of Quebec’s anglophone minority set out in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

No matter how the issue is viewed, it is clear that Quebeckers are a nation. Is Canada willing to recognize that fact unconditionally? Is the federal government willing to translate words into deeds and propose measures affirming recognition of the Quebec nation and its language and culture?

Each vote will give us a clear idea of the government’s true intentions.

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Labour and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec]

Mr. Speaker, I will share my speaking time with the member for Beauport—Limoilou.

Thank you for allowing me these few minutes to address the House on this important matter. Although I cannot support the motion before us today, I would like to take this opportunity to emphasize our government's commitment to promoting the use of French, not only in Quebec and not only in the workplace, but also in the community across the country.

First, I want to reassure my hon. colleagues that the Government of Canada recognizes the unique role of French in Canada and the importance of Quebec's Charter of the French Language. It is through language that we preserve our collective memory, that we express our pride in our identity and that we share our dreams for the future. For Quebeckers, French helps to define them and constitutes the basis of their culture.

That said, we hope that the Government of Quebec and our esteemed colleagues in this House also respect this government's broad mandate and Canadian jurisdictions and Canadian citizens. We hope they understand that Canadian laws have an impact from sea to sea and well beyond the geographic borders of the Province of Quebec.

Let us not forget that Canada is, first of all, a bilingual country. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms clearly provides that English and French are the official languages of Canada and enjoy the same status.

They also have the same rights and privileges as to their use in all the institutions of Parliament and of the Government of Canada. The role of the Government of Canada and of federal language legislation is to promote the use of English and French in Canada through federal and provincial linguistic frameworks suited to the needs and realities of Canada's linguistic communities, including French-language communities in Canada.

Consequently, our charter of rights and our laws already encourage the use of French in Quebec and in the rest of Canada. Contrary to what the opposition critic suggests, they do not limit, prevent or undermine the use of French in Canada, and especially not in Quebec. Quite the contrary.

I now want to draw your attention to the issue of language in the workplace and, more specifically, in federally-regulated workplaces in Quebec. The purpose of the recent private member's Bill C-482 is to amend the Canada Labour Code to require any federal work, undertaking, business or area of federal activity in Quebec to be subject to the conditions of the Charter of the French Language. In fact, I cannot understand how we could subordinate a federal act to a provincial act, regardless of the province or issue in question.

Nor do I want to dwell any further on legal technicalities. I prefer to put the emphasis on facts from the publication of statistics from the 2006 census conducted by Statistics Canada on language, mobility and migration. More than one in four Canadians speak French at work. Nearly 95% of Quebeckers speak French at work, which represents a slight increase from 2001.

We have also learned from other sources that French is the principal language used in federally-regulated workplaces in Quebec. No federal or provincial statute will alter those facts.

Contrary to accusations by one of the opposition parties, which have been relayed through the media in recent months, we have no evidence that there are any barriers to the use of French in federally-regulated Quebec businesses.

I am very well aware that out of the thousands of complaints filed with the Quebec complaints office, the vast majority do not relate to language of work.

There is no evidence that there are any barriers to using French in federally regulated workplaces in Quebec. Once again, the Bloc has cried wolf on this issue, but Canadians will not let the wool be pulled over their eyes. They have understood clearly that the Bloc no longer serves any purpose in Ottawa and the only reason it is raising the hue and cry is to justify its presence here.

Although the Canada Labour Code does not and should not address the question of language of work, federally regulated employers in Quebec are nonetheless committed to preserving, promoting and protecting the language rights and cultural rights of francophone employees and the communities to which they belong.

By choosing to become responsible citizens and active participants in those communities and in the province of Quebec, those employers have also chosen to abide by and accept the use of French in their operations. Federally regulated employers are well aware of the importance of French in Quebec and of the Charter of the French Language. Federally regulated businesses in Quebec also understand that the language of work is dictated by the reality of that place of work.

The vast majority of their customers in Quebec speak French. The vast majority of their workers therefore necessarily speak French. Speaking French is thus a sound business practice that improves their efficiency. Refusing to allow French to be used in a workplace in Quebec would quite simply be suicide.

I think I can easily persuade my honourable colleagues that French is in fact the most commonly spoken language in workplaces in Quebec, whether they are subject to provincial or federal regulation. The amendments to the Canada Labour Code proposed in Bill C-482 are therefore completely pointless and cannot be supported by this government.

There are occasions, however, when workers in Quebec have to speak English in order to do their jobs, and even the Charter of the French Language recognizes those exceptions to the language laws. Businesses that operate in Quebec have to look beyond provincial borders in order to sell their products, purchase cutting edge technology, develop their networks and take advantage of new markets. Federally regulated businesses cut across provincial and international boundaries by their very nature.

For many federal employers, their activities must not and cannot be circumscribed within a single province. Their profit margin depends on their ability to provide services and sell products beyond the provincial borders, whether their business is transportation, telecommunications or international finance.

It would be both unreasonable and harmful to require these companies and their employees to limit their ability to do business in English or in any other language in the world, outside Quebec. When the Canadian banking industry expands in Latin America and the Caribbeans, for example, Spanish becomes a valuable asset. When supply chains in the world extend all the way to China, it becomes all the more urgent that Canadians learn Chinese.

In other words, the language of work should also depend on trade requirements, without excluding French as the main language, but making it a needed complement. The pre-eminence of French in Quebec would certainly not be jeopardized by the occasional use of other languages, including English, during a day’s work.

Companies all over the world are rapidly becoming multilingual and not unilingual. They are more open to foreign markets, foreign technologies, foreign investment and even foreign languages as they try to win new markets in the world economy.

To conclude, I fear that legislation on the use of one language at the expense of other languages would only slow down economic growth in Quebec. Multinational companies would certainly turn to economies that promote competitive advantages instead of restricting them.

If that is the way the Bloc Quebecois intends to stand up for Quebec, I can understand why many of its members are leaving and others are wondering if they still serve a purpose here, in Ottawa.

[Guy André, Bloc, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

Mr. Speaker, after listening to the remarks from my Conservative party colleague, I have some questions to ask him.

All the members of the Conservative party, especially the francophones from Quebec, are congratulating themselves on having recognized Quebec as a nation within a united Canada. When they recognized Quebec as a nation, what were they recognizing?

The language and the culture of that nation are not being treated with respect. We are just asking for an amendment to the Official Languages Act, so that the original language of Quebec, French, is treated with respect. And we are also asking for the Canada Labour Code to be amended so that we can promote our French language. Because we are a nation. The Conservatives recognized that.

So what was it that Conservative members were recognizing when they recognized Quebec as a nation? Just an empty shell?

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to point out to my colleague that the Canada Labour Code exists to protect workers' health and safety. The Code was never intended or designed to be used as a political lever. A number of enterprises under federal jurisdiction are now setting their sights internationally, which requires their workers to be bilingual. And francophones can usually work in their mother tongue.

Members of the Bloc have become disconnected from the people of Quebec and they can no longer explain why they are still in Ottawa. So they desperately try to find solutions to problems that do not exist. The Bloc does not understand how things are done in Ottawa. This bill would simply serve to isolate the people of Quebec once more. The Bloc may crow about this bill, but the reality is that the same bill will do nothing to improve working conditions for Quebeckers.

I am happy to see the Bloc having to recognize that it is, after all, the Conservative government that is defending the values, the interests, and the French identity of all the people of Quebec.

[France Bonsant, Bloc, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it seems to me that the member has not understood the Bloc’s Bill C-482, so I will remind him about it. The bill will require that the federal government recognize the Charter of the French language within Quebec—not China—and will allow it to apply the Charter to enterprises under federal jurisdiction.

I would like the member to tell me what I should tell my fellow Quebeckers when they decide to take an Air Canada plane and go from Montreal to Toronto or Montreal to Vancouver. There are no French language newspapers and they do not even have services in French. When they board, they do not hear “Bienvenue à bord”, they hear “Welcome aboard”. These Air Canada employees are subject to federal regulation and they are in Quebec.

We want to be served in French by employees to whom the Canada Labour Code applies. I would like him to answer that.

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am going to try to answer my dear colleague regarding the Canada Labour Code. The Code deals only with matters that relate to labour standards. Part I deals with labour relations, Part II deals with occupational health and safety, and Part III deals with labour standards. The Code does not address either language or rights.

Even the Quebec Labour Standards Act deals almost exclusively with issues relating to employment, rather than language issues.

[Sylvie Boucher, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and for Status of Women]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to discuss the motion introduced by the Bloc Québécois calling for the Charter of the French language to be applied to enterprises under federal jurisdiction in relation to the language of work. The motion is based on a misunderstanding of the role of the federal government in promoting French in Canada and it is for that reason that I would like to discuss what the government does in this area.

Contrary to what the Bloc asserts, our government is committed to expanding the influence of French language and culture and that is what I would like to demonstrate.

I would first like to provide assurances that my government is firmly committed to honouring its commitments and obligations in terms of supporting official languages and promoting French and English, throughout Canada. I would like to talk about our commitment to official languages, a few of our achievements, and other initiatives we have taken, such as the government’s participation in the celebrations marking Quebec City's 400^th anniversary, which illustrate the importance of the French fact to us.

The Conservative government takes the francophone reality of Quebec into account in everything it does, including the implementation of the Official Languages Act. It gives full measure to the linguistic duality of Canada, which it is committed to promoting both in Quebec and in the other provinces and territories.

In a speech delivered to the chamber of commerce in Rivière-du-Loup on December 7, 2007, Prime Minister Harper said that our Conservative government practices...

[The Acting Speaker, Andrew Scheer]

Order, please. I heard the Prime Minister’s name. I would ask the parliamentary secretary to use riding names or the name of the position that members fill.

[Sylvie Boucher, Conservative, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has said that our Conservative government practices open federalism that respects the historical fact of Quebec’s cultural and linguistic specificity and gives Quebec the flexibility and autonomy it needs to maintain its francophone identity within a strong and united Canada.

Linguistic duality is fundamental to Canadian society and enriches both the country and its citizens. According to a Decima poll taken in 2006 for the Department of Canadian Heritage, 69% of Canadians born abroad think that they are culturally enriched by Canada’s linguistic duality and 72% think that the Government of Canada should play a leading role in promoting and protecting the status and use of French in Canadian society.

The English and French languages and the official languages policy are at the heart of the Canadian identity. Knowledge of these languages helps Canadians participate socially, economically and culturally.

For these reasons, our government promised in the last throne speech to bring forward a strategy for implementing the next stage of the Action Plan for Official Languages. We appointed Bernard Lord to act as special advisor and conduct extensive consultations. He has submitted his report now and it was recently made public. The government will build on it to develop the next stage of the Action Plan for Official Languages.

The government has begun examining the initiatives that have been undertaken as part of its final evaluation of the action plan and it will ensure that the best practices are incorporated into the new official languages program.

We will continue the constant support we have shown for the official languages by bringing forward a strategy to give effect to the next stage of the Action Plan for Official Languages running from 2008 to 2013.

We are currently reviewing all the projects and the federal strategy. This will enable us to renew, modify as necessary and improve the government projects for promoting linguistic duality.

There are some bilateral and multilateral agreements among the Government of Canada and the provinces and territories regarding the official languages. Our support includes recognition of the key role that Quebec plays in the Canadian francophonie.

From a multilateral perspective, the Ministerial Conference on the Canadian Francophonie is the main forum for intergovernmental collaboration. Established in 1974, the MCCF brings together the provincial and territorial ministers responsible for the Canadian Francophonie, francophone affairs, Acadian affairs, French-language services or similar matters, and the federal minister responsible for official languages.

The MCCF’s mandate is to promote intergovernmental cooperation, debate intergovernmental issues that involve the Canadian Francophonie, and sustain dialogue conducive to the development of public policies that strengthen the Canadian linguistic duality.

During the September 2007 annual MCCF meeting in Halifax, the ministers endorsed and agreed to proceed with implementation of the report titled Canadian Francophonie: Issues, Challenges and Future Directions, which summarizes consultations held across the country in the spring and summer of 2006.

It will also take into account results from community assemblies, such as the summit of francophone and Acadian communities, reports from standing parliamentary committees, the report of the Official Languages Commissioner, the results of the 2006 census published on December 4 and the important Post-Censal Survey on the Vitality of Official Language Minority Communities conducted by Statistics Canada.

Our government will continue to build on existing achievements, so that Canadians can benefit from all the advantages of being in a country with two official languages, a cultural treasure that is unique in North America.

Since our government came to power, open federalism has been our watchword, and our achievements reflect that approach.

While everyone agrees that bilingualism is valuable to an individual and an asset for our country; it is also true to say that better understanding between francophones and anglophones requires that the two language communities get to know and support each other.

Our young people are the key to that better understanding. Thanks in part to support from the Department of Canadian Heritage, more than half the students in our schools today are learning French or English as a second language throughout the country.

In the 2007 budget, we also announced an amount of $30 million over two years to promote increased use of minority languages, especially among young people, in the daily life of Canadians living in minority language communities.

We also want to create opportunities outside the classroom for young Canadians to enjoy linguistic and cultural experiences in their second language. We especially want all young Canadians to have an opportunity to appreciate the French language and culture and to understand what an asset they are for our country.

As the Speech from the Throne pointed out, our initiative takes account of the contributions made by other levels of government. One of the key objectives of our government is to strengthen our federation and to work more closely with each level of government, while respecting each other’s jurisdictions.

It is beneficial for everyone because the work we are doing, in cooperation with the provinces and territories, is producing solid results on the ground.

In addition to the agreements dealing with education and services in the minority language, we have made significant investments along with the provinces and territories to establish, enlarge or renew community infrastructure in francophone communities in the various regions of Canada.

The Minister of Canadian Heritage, Status of Women and Official Languages has met with the provincial and territorial ministers responsible for culture and heritage. They discussed measures for promoting and increasing awareness of francophone communities, in particular, through cultural tourism and festivals, for which we have announced the launch of a new support program.

Last fall, the minister also met with the ministers responsible for the Canadian francophonie in Halifax. This federal-provincial-territorial conference is an excellent platform for ensuring that the very diverse objectives and challenges of francophones all across the country are taken into account when developing our programs and our policies.

The members of the Bloc can continue to try, in vain, to justify their presence in Ottawa by inventing new squabbles but Quebeckers are not taken in. They support a government that offers them real, open federalism that promotes French everywhere in Canada.

[André Bellavance, Bloc, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I know that today is April Fool’s Day but I never expected to hear so many bad jokes from the government members. They rhyme off an endless list of little steps taken by this government, such as promoting learning of a second official language by young people. I hope they promote that and it is quite proper, but we are talking about a nation.

As Quebeckers, what we are talking about must have a direct appeal to our hearts. That is quite different from saying that they gave money for the 400th anniversary of Quebec City. It would have been big news if the federal government had not given it. There is always a limit to listening to a litany of the things that, in any case, all governments do.

This Conservative government makes me think precisely of the previous Liberal government under Jean Chrétien, who after a painful struggle finally agreed to talk about a “distinct society”. It was quite a story. I have just read his book. It is always interesting to read the books of our opponents. He wound up by saying he would tell English Canada that, in any case, a “distinct society” meant absolutely nothing. That is what he confirms in his book. A nation within a united Canada; it is the same thing.

Earlier, the parliamentary secretary said that, usually, people could work in French under the Canada Labour Code. What are they doing about the people who, usually, cannot work in French under the Canada Labour Code?

[Sylvie Boucher, Conservative, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

Mr. Speaker, first, I thank my colleague for his question; but the Bloc Québécois has no lessons to teach me, especially on the subject of the francophonie.

They appropriated the Quebec nation because they were sovereignists but for us that means a great deal. I live my life in French; my reality is a Quebec reality. My emotions are Quebec emotions, and when I hurt, I hurt in French.

They do not understand that for the Quebec nation, for all the other Quebeckers who are not sovereignists, that has enormous meaning. We are no longer ashamed to walk the streets of Quebec and to say that we are happy to live in Canada while defending our Quebec and our language.

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Outremont, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am going to try to get us back on topic, since it gets a bit emotional if we start saying which language we have trouble in and it is very off track if we start talking about the festivals the minister has subsidized.

The real point today is whether we are willing to debate an issue which deals with language requirements for Quebec workers in areas that are not yet covered by Quebec legislation.

I would like to ask my colleague, whom I have known a long time, why she considers it normal that an employee of a caisse populaire cannot be subject to language requirements that have nothing to do with his or her duties, while a person who performs identical duties across the street can be forced to know another language in order to accommodate the employer. How is it that a bus driver in Gatineau, when the bus crosses over to the Ottawa side, can be subject to language requirements that do not have to be met by bus drivers in Montreal? That is what it all comes down to. It is a motion.

The issue is whether we are willing to discuss it. As far as the bill is concerned, we do not yet have a clear idea, but we want to hear the experts and meet with workers’ representatives and social groups. We want to be able to debate the issue.

If she truly believes in the recognition of Quebec society, can my friend and colleague—

[The Acting Speaker, Andrew Scheer]

The hon. parliamentary secretary has the floor.

[Sylvie Boucher, Conservative, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

Mr. Speaker, everyone agrees that working in French is important. Everyone recognizes here in Canada that we have two languages: English and French.

In Quebec, we speak French, as everyone knows, but there is also an anglophone minority that needs to be defended. I stand up for that community. I am a Quebecker, I speak French, but other Quebeckers are English and they need our support as federalists.

[Diane Bourgeois, Bloc, Terrebonne—Blainville, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have the opportunity to debate today's motion. From the outset I wish to inform you that I will be sharing my time with the hon. member for Berthier—Maskinongé.

I will reread the motion:

That, in the opinion of the House, following the recognition of the Quebec nation by this House, the government should move from words to deeds and propose measures to solidify that recognition, including compliance with the language of labour relations of Quebec’s Charter of the French language regarding enterprises under federal jurisdiction located in Quebec.

In November 2006, this government presented the following motion, which was adopted by the House of Commons:

That this House recognize that the Québécois form a nation within a united Canada.

This recognition is a victory for the Bloc. The government was pressured into presenting that motion because the Bloc Québécois, at the time, forced the government's hand by presenting its own motion recognizing the Quebec nation. As a result, Canada recognized our existence as a national community for the first time.

The dictionary defines nation as a group of people, generally large, characterized by awareness of its unity and a desire to live together. The nation is the community we belong to, the group we identify with, the group we talk with in order to make decisions that concern the organization of our society.

It is also a favoured place for making decisions of a political nature, and to recognize a nation is to finally recognize the existence of a political body equipped with legitimate rights and political aspirations.

By recognizing the Quebec nation, the House of Commons has recognized Quebeckers' right to control their own social, economic and cultural development within Quebec.

The House has also recognized the legitimacy of Quebec's repeated requests to give Quebeckers the power and necessary resources to develop their own society.

Nonetheless, the recognition of a nation has to be much more than symbolic—which it is right now. Nations have rights and the one right they have in particular is the right to self determination, in other words, to determine their own development themselves. And if Quebeckers form a nation, it is not up to Canadians to dictate how that nation should organize its society.

That said, a consensus is building in Quebec on the fact that the Quebeckers form a nation and, what is more, have done so for a very long time. Back in the early days after the conquest, Lord Durham referred to two nations in conflict within the same state. Then we had Maurice Duplessis, who spoke of it in 1946; Jean Lesage in 1963, Daniel Johnson in 1968, and René Lévesque's reference to Canada's being composed of two nations each equal to the other. I could name a number of other instances as well.

On October 30, 2003, the Quebec National Assembly passed the following motion unanimously:

That the National Assembly reaffirm that the people of Quebec form a nation.

The motion does not say that the people of Quebec form a nation if Canada remains as it is, or that Quebec is a nation if it opts for sovereignty. It says that the people of Quebec form a nation, period.

We can conclude from this that Quebeckers form a nation regardless of the choices they make in future. Canada has recognized that the people of Quebec form a nation and it must act accordingly from here on in.

This takes me back to the French fact. The last census in 2006 presents some worrisome findings on the status of French outside Quebec, as well as within Quebec, Montreal in particular.

French has lost ground everywhere in Canada, including Quebec, even though more immigrants than ever are speaking it in the home. The last Statistics Canada census revealed some very worrisome figures indeed. Even though the number of persons with French as their mother tongue increased between 2001 and 2006, their relative weight decreased and they represent only 22% of the population.

As for the language in predominant use in the home, the relative share of French is constantly dropping, from 26% in 1971 to 21% in 2006. This is a source of concern to francophone communities outside Quebec. In all territories and provinces outside Quebec, unlike the figures for English, the number of those using French predominantly in the home is lower than the number of those with French as their mother tongue. According to the 2006 census, 4.1% of the population outside Quebec report French as their mother tongue, a drop from the 4.4% of the 2001 census. This is a continuation of a trend that has prevailed for more than half a century.

In Quebec, the number of persons speaking English most often in the home rose by 40,000 between 2001 and 2006. The rate of increase in the population reporting English as most used in the home was 5.5% over 2001, or twice the figure for French in the home.

On the island of Montreal, the percentage of those reporting French as their mother tongue in 2006 dropped to below half of the population. It is said that the increase in English as language of use is eight times that of French. These are not my figures, they come from Statistics Canada.

This is a cause for considerable concern. They say that the gains the francophone group can hope to make because of increased mobility toward French will still be neutralized by the effects of international immigration. I have already mentioned Lord Durham, who was sent out from England after the troubles of 1837. He said that the primary and firm intent of the British government of the day was to introduce an English population into this province and the only way to accomplish that was through immigration.

Many have turned to immigration to supposedly alleviate labour shortages. However, most immigrants to Quebec are anglophone. That is why it is extremely important for immigrants coming to Quebec to understand that they are coming to a province whose official language is French.

Currently, we have to deal with Canada's multiculturalism policy. What is the difference between multiculturalism and Quebec's interculturalism? Basically, Canadian multiculturalism arises from the Canadian belief that all citizens are equal. It enables all Canadians to preserve their identity, be proud of their origins and feel a sense of belonging, whereas in Quebec, interculturalism allows people to be proud to live within the Quebec nation.

There are numerous problems with the Canada Multiculturalism Act. People do not want to speak French. When they come to Canada, they are told that they are part of a multicultural continent. Quebec's approach—asking them to learn French—does not appeal to them much. Newcomers can easily become confused, because Quebec portrays itself as a French-language state, but it is in a bilingual country that promotes bilingualism.

People arriving in Quebec are getting conflicting messages. And who can blame them? We have to make every effort to integrate them into francophone society. That is why we have our francophone society charter. I would note that the purpose of the charter is to define the linguistic rights of all Quebeckers, the right to speak French, the language of the majority.

[Guy André, Bloc, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure for me to rise and speak today on the motion introduced by the Bloc Québécois on opposition day.

This motion was introduced pursuant to the federal Parliament’s recognition of the Quebec nation. It is apparent now that the Conservative government has been trying, since it voted in favour of recognizing their nation, to persuade Quebeckers that it has given them a little more than they used to have in terms of rights, regulations and jurisprudence.

The Conservative government admitted that Quebec constitutes a nation. We already knew that Quebec was a nation thanks to its language and culture but we know now that this government has no intention of adapting to this new reality and showing some respect for the Quebec nation.

We, the Bloc members of Parliament, represent the nation of Quebec. We believe that the Conservative government has a political and even a moral obligation now to translate this recognition into deeds and facts. If the government votes for this motion today, there would be deeds and facts to recognize the language, culture and diversity of Quebec.

The motion we have brought forward today asks the federal government to recognize and incorporate into its legislation and programs one of the basic characteristics of our nation. I am speaking obviously about the future of the French language.

We all know that French is essential to the identity of the Quebec nation. We demanded recognition as a nation because we have this language, culture, heritage and history, which have been part of us for a very long time.

On the political level, our National Assembly adopted the Charter of the French Language in 1977 in recognition of Quebeckers’ desire to ensure its quality and vigour.

We decided collectively as a nation to make French the language of state and the legal language, as well as the normal, customary language of instruction, communications, commerce, business and, of course, work.

Thirty years after the Charter of the French Language was adopted, it is obvious that it was a turning point in the affirmation of the identity of the Quebec nation.

When we speak now of the Quebec nation, there is a consensus in Quebec that Quebeckers have formed a nation for many years. On October 30, 2003, the Quebec National Assembly unanimously passed a motion reaffirming that the people of Quebec form a nation. It was not for nothing that the Quebec National Assembly specified that it was reasserting the existence of a Quebec nation. The resolution was actually just repeating what all Quebec governments had been saying for decades.

It was not until November 2006 that the federal Parliament recognized the obvious fact that Quebeckers form a nation. It recognized this fact, but without giving it any substance.

I would still like to congratulate our NDP colleagues who support our motion today and who, like us, are trying to put a little more flesh onto the concept that was adopted in this House. However, we cannot recognize the Quebec nation without at the same time recognizing that it has an identity, and that it has values, interests and rights. Like all nations, our nation has the right to control its own development. It has the right to internal self-determination, which implies that the House of Commons, in recognizing the Québécois as a nation, recognized they have the right to control their social, economic and cultural development.

As I said at the start of my remarks, our nation has its own identity, which implies that the federal government recognizes, particularly in its laws and practices that French is the language of Quebec and that its culture is different from the rest of Canada.

As the motion states, the federal government must now move from words to deeds. In the motion tabled today in this House, the Bloc Québécois calls on the federal government to recognize and comply with the Charter of the French Language, especially in regard to the language of work in enterprises under federal jurisdiction.

At present, there are two systems in our nation. There are companies where the workers are under the official languages regulations—the language of Canada—and other companies where the workers are under the jurisdiction of Charter of the French Language. Those are two systems in the same nation. We want to see a single way of operating and only one language used in all Quebec companies. That is simple when you are a nation.

The federal government must truly recognize the Quebec nation—not simply in words. Conservative members boast about having recognized Quebec as a nation. I asked a Conservative member what concepts of nationhood they recognized, and what new rights, regulatory powers and privileges have they granted to this nation. Nothing. No answer. They take Quebeckers for idiots. They just tell them that they form a nation; but they are given no new rights. Quebeckers are not fooled.

If Parliament recognizes the Quebec nation, if the Conservatives, Liberals and New Democrats recognize the nation, they cannot logically be opposed to the principle of Bill C-482, which would require the federal government to recognize the Charter of the French Language in Quebec. That would enable it to extend its application to federally regulated businesses. Moving from words to deeds does not just entail the example appearing in the wording of the motion, that is to say the application of the Charter of the French Language to employees under federal jurisdiction. It also means recognizing that multiculturalism is a barrier to the model for integrating newcomers in Quebec society, and that there is another Quebec culture that has not yet been recognized by the Canadian government.

Quebec is not a bilingual society. It is false to say that we are opposed to anglophones. I heard some remarks by Conservative Party members. They said that we were going to war against the anglophone minority that built Quebec. That is not true. We simply want to affirm Quebec's majority language, which is French.

Unlike the Canadian model, Quebec relies on interculturalism as its integration model. In other words, unlike the Canadian approach, which is to value diversity, the Quebec approach is one that is based on the learning and recognition of the French language, the official language and language common to the citizenry and on the adherence to a set of fundamental values that constitute the historic nature of Quebec.

I will close my remarks by reminding the members of this House that the point of this motion is that we must now move from words to deeds in order to solidify the recognition of the Quebec nation. Like my Bloc Québécois colleagues, like many Quebeckers, I remain convinced that the best way for the Quebec nation to take complete charge of its political, economic, social and cultural development is sovereignty for Quebec. However, the addition of this element to that nation here, in the House of Commons, is a plus and means more powers for Quebec. That is why it is important for us.

[Christian Ouellet, Bloc, Brome—Missisquoi, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member for Berthier—Maskinongé just told us about major principles relating to the universal move to revitalize national cultures. Under these principles, each nation has an obligation to bring a particular contribution to the international community. This is what my colleague just spoke about. It does not stop with holidays such as Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day. It applies everywhere, even in the workplace.

The National Assembly intends to pursue this objective in a spirit of fairness and open-mindedness, respectful of the institutions of the English-speaking community of Québec, and respectful of the ethnic minorities, whose valuable contribution to the development of Québec it readily acknowledges.

I have a question for the hon. member for Berthier—Maskinongé. The National Assembly recognizes the rights of the Amerinds and the Inuit of Quebec, the first inhabitants of this land. Are we entitled to the same recognition as that given by the National Assembly to Quebec's first nations, namely the right to their original language and culture everywhere, and particularly in the workplace?

[Guy André, Bloc, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his question. I think that the recognition of aboriginal nations, and of the Quebec nation, is important for the federal Parliament. As I mentioned in my speech, it is critical that we ask this House to recognize the Quebec nation by recognizing its language, culture, heritage and history. It is also critical to have the right to control one's tools for social, economic and political development. That is part of the rights of a nation, and that is what today's motion is asking for.

[France Bonsant, Bloc, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

Mr. Speaker, last summer, the member for Mégantic—L'Érable made an announcement in Sherbrooke. Perhaps I should call him the member for Mégantic—Maple. He sent a memo to the media that was written in English only. The media in the region of Sherbrooke are primarily French-language media, and the member surely knew that. These media and reporters did not appreciate the fact that even a parliamentary secretary would not respect Quebec's official language in his releases.

This is a far cry from respecting the Quebec nation and its language, as the Conservative government likes to boast. Could my colleague explain why the Bloc Québécois is the only party that defends Quebec's interests, language and culture in this united Canada?

[Guy André, Bloc, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I think it is a shame to see a member, especially a member from Quebec, inadvertently send out a media advisory in English. Sometimes, when a person joins a party that has values other than those of Quebec, that promotes bilingualism as Trudeau saw it and as the Conservative Party seems to see it in Canada, without respecting Quebec's identity, he can lose his way and make mistakes like that. The Conservative Party members defend the dominant Conservative ideology, which does not respect Quebec's values and interests. As a result, they lose their identity. They claim to be Canadians, and deep down they convince themselves that they are Canadians and not Quebeckers. That is why they sometimes make mistakes like that.

[Peter Julian, NDP, Burnaby—New Westminster, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in this House to speak to this motion that we in the NDP are going to support.

In fact, it is an opposition motion that proposes that in Quebec, in federally regulated companies, work can be done in both languages.

I would just like to mention some aspects of the language of labour relations that are covered by chapter VI of the charter, to which the motion pertains. These are not things people can be opposed to, but normal things in a largely francophone society such as the Quebec nation.

According to this chapter on the language of labour relations, when an employer publishes an offer of employment in a daily newspaper published in a language other than French, English for example, the employer must also publish it in French. This is only natural. As well, an arbitration award must be translated into French or English, as the case may be, at the parties' expense.

This is not a huge requirement, but a normal one. That is why we are going to support this motion.

We have been hearing some rather hysterical presentations from the Liberal Party. The Liberals are saying it would be the end of the world if workers in Quebec had access to arbitral awards in their language. To the Liberals it would also be the end of the world if an employer posted a job ad in both French and English. This is absolutely irresponsible.

I want to come back to this because it is not normal for the Liberal Party to act this way. It might be normal to the Liberals, but not in the eyes of the public.

The past two years have given us an idea of what a Conservative government has to offer in terms of official languages and respecting the French language within Canada. As we have seen, the Conservative government has abolished the court challenges program in a very clear effort to undermine francophone minorities outside Quebec. The anglophone minority in Quebec has also been very clear in its criticism of this Conservative government's completely irresponsible actions.

There is not a single Conservative MP who can say that this government has accomplished anything for the French language or linguistic minority rights in Canada. It would be utterly false to claim that this government has contributed anything. On the contrary, the Conservatives are in the process of slowly eroding linguistic rights.

The hon. member for Acadie—Bathurst, the NDP official languages critic, works very hard in the Standing Committee on Official Languages to prevent the government from eliminating these rights. The same is true for the hon. member for Outremont, as well as for our leader, the hon. member for Toronto—Danforth, the hon. member for Victoria, the hon. member for British Columbia Southern Interior and the entire NDP caucus. We are all working together to stop this government from eliminating these rights.

Not since the Quiet Revolution has this House of Commons, or anyone in this country, seen a stronger defender of the French language than the New Democratic Party. There has not been a stronger defender from the start. I see that a Conservative MP is agreeing with me and I could not be happier.

Since its creation, the New Democratic Party has recognized Quebec's right to self determination. An historic battle was fought in this House when the New Democratic party stood up to prevent the War Measures Act from being imposed in Quebec.

Only the members of the New Democratic Party, under their leader of the time, Tommy Douglas—recognized by Canadians from coast to coast as the strongest NDP leader in Canadian history—stood in this House to say no to the War Measures Act. From the outset, French and bilingualism had their most ardent and strongest supporters in New Democrat caucuses in the House of Commons.

That battle has not just been waged here. In Quebec, with our former leaders, Thérèse Casgrain and Robert Cliche, New Democrats have worked to defend and promote the French language.

And not just in Quebec. In Atlantic Canada, the former NDP leader and current member for Halifax was the most ardent defender of Nova Scotia Acadians as long as she led the NDP.

Ms. Elizabeth Weir and the current member for Acadie—Bathurst led the fight for francophone rights and official bilingualism in New Brunswick. I will come back to that. Because it must be said that the Liberal party in New Brunswick is now undermining those rights little by little.

In Ontario, the NDP government and its high-quality cabinet—though the leader at the time was less so—promoted the French college system and the use of French on the road network.

In Western Canada, where I am from, NDP governments in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, British Columbia and Yukon have done the most to move francophone rights forward. In Manitoba, it was through the Official Languages Act. In Saskatchewan and British Columbia, it was by the formation of francophone school boards, the first such school boards in those provinces. In Yukon, it was through territorial official languages legislation.

As a British Columbian, I can say that French language and culture are spreading everywhere today. When I was young, there were one or two francophone schools; now there are dozens all across the province. Since I attend meetings, conferences and gatherings of French-speaking British Columbians, I see how this francophone presence is flourishing on the west coast of our country. The presence has very diverse origins: from Africa, Asia, Europe of course, Quebec, Acadia, and French-speaking Manitoba and Ontario. These people speak French with different accents which are truly beautiful to hear. You can hear accents of people from all over the world coming together to speak French in British Columbia.

This is why I am most confident to say that historically, our movement or political party has always sought to respect and promote the French language, not only here in Ottawa, but across Canada. We are extremely proud of this past and we are still fighting hard for this cause today. We will support any measures that will advance the equality of francophones in Canada.

I would like to come back to the issue of some of the Liberal Party's interventions and speeches that we have heard on this motion. I believe they were completely irresponsible.

The presentation by the member for Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine a few hours ago was completely over the top. It was completely irresponsible. She knows exactly what the impact of this motion is. It is essentially to provide the opportunity for folks and workers in Quebec to have access, in French as well as in English, to services provided by businesses that are governed by federal legislation. I mentioned that earlier in my speech. We are not talking about dramatic changes. We are talking about very sensible approaches to ensuring equality for francophone workers in Quebec. Of course, this is something that we have always supported.

I find it very regrettable that the Liberals are trying to fuel some kind of linguistic tension. They seem to think there is some sort of political advantage to be gained by fuelling that vision and those differences in Canada.

I have seen that myself in western Canada. Every single time the NDP has pushed for equality, whether we are talking about Manitoba, Saskatchewan, British Columbia or Yukon, or whether we are talking about Leo Piquette. He is the franco-Albertan MLA who almost on his own and with the support of the Alberta NDP pushed for substantive changes in Alberta for greater respect for francophones there. Every single time the NDP has done this it has been the Liberals provincially who have been opposing and fighting those movements forward for respect for the French language.

We have seen this most recently in New Brunswick, where an immersion program that has been immensely successful is now being cut by a Liberal provincial government.

Immersion programs set up by the NDP government in British Columbia have been successful. In my community of New Westminster parents came from all over the community and lined up with sleeping bags to sleep in gyms over the course of a weekend to make sure that their children were registered in a French immersion program.

I think the Bloc Québécois is not aware of that. It is unfortunate, because there is a francophone presence throughout the country and also a real love of the French language that I even see in my own community. It is too bad that the Bloc Québécois seems incapable of seeing how much things have changed in English Canada in four decades.

It is unfortunate, but we will nonetheless pursue our efforts on this side of the House to put out this information. I do not believe the members of the Bloc Québécois are ill-intentioned. I simply belive they are not well informed.

We have seen how popular are the immersion programs. Today there are thousands and thousands of Canadian children studying in French all day, yet in New Brunswick a Liberal administration is trying to cut and gut that program.

We have heard the federal Liberal spokespeople, such as their candidate in Papineau call Canadians lazy if they only know one language. I think it is even more disconcerting that that same candidate said that there should not be French schools that are separate from English schools, that francophones should simply, I suppose in a way, be shoved into English schools and forced to be in an English environment. In effect it is an assimilation of francophones. It has been a hard fought battle that francophone communities across the country and anglophone communities in Quebec have delighted in actually succeeding in establishing separate schools.

Yet no one in the Liberal caucus said anything about that forced assimilation. No one in the Liberal caucus said anything about calling unilingual Canadians, whether French or English, lazy. Not a single Liberal stood up to condemn those comments.

I find that to be very regrettable. Given the context of the comments that have been made today, I find that the Liberal Party is extremely disappointing in that it seems to have no principles but that of trying to pursue some sort of cheap political advantage, whatever that may be at any one time.

When we talk about these issues, when we talk about immersion to help people learn a second language, when we talk about the right to work in one's mother tongue, as set out in this motion, when we talk about this ability in Canada, regardless of its origins, we all agree that talking and being able to communicate is a fundamental aspect of our confederation and democracy in Canada.

I am from British Columbia. I am proud of my Norwegian, Irish and English heritage. I am proud of my English language, which is a very beautiful language. But I am also proud of my ability to speak the language of Molière, even if it is not perfect, and to be able to communicate with Acadians, Quebeckers, francophones from western Canada and francophones from Ontario. It is one of Canada's treasures that we simply cannot overlook.

We cannot simply say that since we passed legislation on official languages 40 years ago, we are done and there is nothing more to do. It is like a garden. We must continue to work on it to make sure that our efforts are paying off, to ensure compliance and to ensure progress on the issues.

We know there is a problem with businesses under federal jurisdiction. As we all know, over the past few years, there have been dozens and dozens of complaints and no follow-up. Everyone knows there is a problem. It only makes sense to start looking for solutions. One principle is very clear and has been mentioned by several members of this House: a francophone in Quebec has the right to work in his or her mother tongue. There is nothing magical or extraordinary about this, it simply makes sense.

It is the responsibility of the House of Commons to respect the logic of what is being proposed here today. That is why we support the motion and that is why, on this side of the House, we will continue our efforts to defend linguistic minorities and to promote the French language in order to preserve this aspect of Canada, which is greatly cherished, I believe, by the vast majority of Canadians.

[Christian Ouellet, Bloc, Brome—Missisquoi, QC]

Mr. Speaker, first, I would like to congratulate my colleague from Burnaby—New Westminster on the quality of his French. He speaks French very well and I admire him for wanting to speak in the language of Molière like he does. However, I point out to him that if we do not use the language of Shakespeare, it is because we do not wish to, not because we are not capable. I am making this distinction because he said earlier that the Bloc members were not well informed. I am sorry, but I travelled all across Canada and I know full well who speaks French and who does not in Canada. To claim that we are not well informed is misinformation.

The member always talks about the Liberal Party, but we know that it is the governing party that is opposed to the fact that the people can speak French in their workplace in Quebec.

I would like the member to comment on a statement by the Prime Minister. He said: “As a federal political leader, I would not interfere in Quebec's linguistic policy and I would let the courts deal with the constitutional disputes.”

The Prime Minister also said: “It would be incorrect to claim that I agree with every aspect of Bill 101. It is one thing to recognize the predominance of the French language and to promote French as the language spoken at home.”

The member spoke well about our motion. Could he tell us what he thinks of the Conservatives in that regard?

[Peter Julian, NDP, Burnaby—New Westminster, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to respond to the hon. member.

When I said that Bloc members were misinformed, I was referring to their knowledge of francophone and francophile communities outside Quebec. I said that Bloc members were often very well informed about many aspects of our work, but that is one shortcoming I have noticed, with all due respect. Take the francophone community in British Columbia, for example. Francophones are present in many other parts of the country, not to mention millions of francophiles. However, I have been in this House for three and a half years and I have never heard anyone recognize what has been going on in other provinces for the past 30 or 40 years. That is the only aspect I was referring to, nothing more. But it is something that is dear to me, because I have yet to hear any Bloc member talk about it. I am not criticizing. It is a simple remark about something that is important to me.

To answer the second part of the member's question about Conservative policies, I have to say the member is absolutely correct. This government does not understand that merely starting a press conference in French does not a true national linguistic policy make. For as long as the Conservatives have been in power, there has been no true linguistic policy in Canada.

[Dean Allison, Conservative, Niagara West—Glanbrook, ON]

Mr. Speaker, during the first hour of debate on Bill C-482, a bill to amend the Official Languages Act to force the federal government to recognize the importance of Bill 101 in Quebec, as well as private enterprises under the federal jurisdiction with respect to French as the language of work, the NDP was not really sure of the direction it wanted to take. As a matter of fact, the hon. member for Acadie—Bathurst said that they would vote in favour of the bill just so they could study it in committee.

I would like to ask the hon. member what he wishes to accomplish by doing so. Is the member aware of the implications that the passage of such a bill would have on the province of Quebec, not to mention the whole country? Did the hon. member not listen to the arguments brought forward by the Liberal Party and the Conservative Party that undeniably demonstrated the negative effect such a bill would have if passed?