Madam Speaker, I am pleased to deliver this speech in Canada's two official languages.
The proposed Bloc Québécois amendment to the Citizenship Act is something the Conservatives have given much thought and consideration. Our response is guided by two core principles of the Conservative Party.
The first principle is recognition of the Quebec nation by former prime minister Stephen Harper and our commitment to protecting its language and culture.
In my remarks, I will first address the proposed change to the maximum age at which knowledge of either English or French is necessary to obtain citizenship. I will then address the proposed change to require knowledge of French for applicants who wish to live in the province of Quebec.
We support the principle behind the French language requirement since it corresponds to our values and the commitment of our leader to Quebeckers. However, the Conservatives have concerns about the proposed change to the maximum age for which linguistic knowledge is mandatory, which would increase from 55 to 65.
Accordingly, we support the bill at first reading, while ensuring that the perspectives of older new Canadians are heard and their concerns reviewed in committee and addressed in amendments if necessary.
The Conservatives believe in compassionate measures to assist in family reunification and to uphold Canada's humanitarian tradition as a safe haven for refugees. We recognize that raising the maximum age may present challenges for families seeking to obtain citizenship for their older parents and grandparents, who may experience greater difficulties becoming fully bilingual. We want to ensure that parents and grandparents are treated with dignity.
Many families already face tremendous difficulties at the hands of the Liberal government, which never seems to get family reunification right, as we have seen across this country with heartbreaking stories of family separation due to the government's inability to recognize the desperate need to prioritize family reunification. It even brought back a failed grandparents and parents lottery system that is unfair, uncompassionate and ineffective. Immigrants and new Canadians deserve better.
This bill would make knowledge of French mandatory instead of French or English for permanent residents who live in Quebec and wish to obtain Canadian citizenship.
We support the principle behind this measure and we recognize the urgency of doing more than sharing French in Quebec. The situation of French in Quebec is getting worse. Outside of the Liberal caucus, there is a broad consensus on this. It is especially true in Montreal.
Montreal is one of the great metropolises in Canada and indeed in all of North America. Having lived and worked there for four years as a university student, I had the privilege of experiencing first-hand the richness of its history, diversity and culture. Part of what makes Montreal so unique is that it was founded in French, and French has been the main language spoken there for nearly all of its 378 years of existence. Francophone Quebeckers understandably wish to preserve its distinct character in the face of the pressures of globalization and assimilation into a North American standard that is uniformly English.
Unfortunately, the historical character of Montreal is being increasingly called into question.
In its April 2019 report, the Office québécois de la langue française found that nearly half of all francophone clients surveyed in the Montreal area were addressed in languages other than French.
A survey published last week in Le journal de Montréal showed that the staff of several retail chains in downtown Montreal addressed their customers in English only. Furthermore, they could not even communicate important information about public health guidelines that applied in the store and the possibility that their products might contain ingredients to which a customer might be allergic.
The Liberals, much like the member for Saint-Laurent in Montreal, have blatantly and inappropriately chosen to ignore and downplay this reality. As Conservatives, we choose instead to act.
That is why our leader has committed to allowing the application of Bill 101, which makes French the official language of work in Quebec, in federally regulated businesses in Quebec and to giving Quebec more powers in immigration matters. He reiterated his commitments when he met with Premier Legault on September 14.
I have to point out that there is a significant difference between the Conservative approach and that of the Bloc Québécois. Rather than amending the federal Citizenship Act, the Conservative government would work with Quebec to enhance the powers and autonomy of Quebec's government with respect to immigration based on the immigration agreement that was was put in place by Canada and Quebec in 1991. The Canada-Quebec accord was a great success and the Conservatives would strengthen this approach, which has already proven itself.
I must also point out another major difference between our approach and that of the Bloc. There will never be a Bloc Québécois government and its leader will never be the prime minister of Canada. Only the Conservative Party can beat the Liberals in the next election and elect a prime minister who could act on Quebeckers' priorities, defend their interests and protect their language.
Some might suggest that the French language requirement in this bill represents radical change. We disagree. The reality is that Quebec already controls most of its immigration, and French-language requirements have long played an important and critical role in Quebec's determination of eligibility for permanent residency.
Immigration to Quebec is a shared jurisdiction, governed by the terms of the Canada-Quebec accord relating to immigration and temporary admission of aliens, agreed to in partnership between the Quebec and Canadian governments in 1991. One of the agreement's objectives is, “the preservation of Quebec’s demographic importance within Canada and the integration of immigrants to that province in a manner that respects the distinct identity of Quebec.” The accord gives Quebec sole responsibility for the selection of economic immigrants and skilled workers, as well as most immigrants in the humanitarian and refugee categories. For the majority of these immigrants, knowledge of French is either a requirement for successful selection or part of the criteria in a points-based system for determining eligibility.
The Quebec government has signalled its intention to both strengthen its requirements for knowledge of French in these categories and provide greater resources for French-language teaching and integration services. Some exceptions to this framework include immigrants in the family reunification category, as well as those who make refugee claims within Canadian territory. Our approach would allow the Quebec government to extend the same rules and criteria to those additional immigrant categories with respect to obtaining Canadian citizenship. This bill, though different from our approach, goes in the same direction, which is why we have chosen to support it on that basis at first reading.
In conclusion, our leader and our party have great respect for the Quebec nation and understand the cultural importance of protecting the French language. The Conservatives are offering Quebeckers a serious alternative to the Liberals. We are the only ones who can beat them in the next election and form the next government.
Only a Conservative government will be able to work with the Legault government to obtain real results for Quebeckers.