Raymond Simard

[Order in Council Appointments, February 25th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to table, in both official languages, a number of order in council appointments which were recently made by the government.

[The Budget, February 25th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, Budget 2005 contains good news for Manitoba.

The Liberal government has decided to share the gasoline tax revenues with municipalities, an amount equal to about $167.3 million over five years.

The Department of Western Economic Diversification will allocate $186 million in funding over the next five years for new economic development initiatives.

Furthermore, the department will receive $74 million in new funding over five years to work with communitiesvulnerable to economic adjustment pressures and with Western cities on their specific economic issues.

Under the 10 year plan to strengthen health care, Manitoba will receive $1.5 billion in new health care funding. I also want to mention that Manitoba will reap huge benefits from its investments in wind and hydroelectric power, agriculture, early childhood, seniors and immigration.

[The Environment, February 22nd, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, it seems that the Conservatives have finally stopped attacking the true laws of nature, such as the fundamental laws of physics and chemistry, by refusing to recognize the scientific principles of global warming.

In fact, just a few months ago, we heard the empty rhetoric of the Conservatives and their leader that the man-made effects of climate change were nothing more than a scientific hypothesis and that carbon dioxide had never been considered a health risk.

We hope that the Conservative Party has finally realized what we on this side of the House have already known for quite some time. Climate change is real, and attacking this problem can only benefit this country's economy and environment, as well as the health of Canadians.

We hope too that the Conservative Party has finally seen the folly of advancing pseudo-scientific principles. We hope that now the Conservatives will stop making these erroneous statements.

[Questions on the Order Paper, February 22nd, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand.

[Question No. 26, February 18th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, I ask that all remaining questions be allowed to stand.

[Questions passed as Orders for Returns, February 18th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, if Question No. 26 could be made an order for a return, the return would be tabled immediately.

[Economic Development, February 18th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, from February 25 to March 4, 2005, a Franco-Manitoban delegation will participate in an economic mission to Alsace, France. The Premier of Manitoba, the provincial finance minister and I will accompany 75 delegates from the economic, cultural, research, health and environmental sectors.

Led by the Economic Development Council for Manitoba Bilingual Communities, this mission aims to develop business ties with companies in Alsace and encourage commercial immigration to Manitoba. In addition, it aims to position Manitoba as the gateway to western North American and to promote Manitoba's francophone culture.

This is the first time a delegation this size will go to France. This mission is the result of a historic agreement on non-invasive surgery reached between the St. Boniface general hospital and the IRCAD research institute in Strasbourg.

I am proud of the contribution by this group of dynamic francophones living in a minority situation. It is tangible proof of the importance of the francophonie's added value to this country's economic development.

[Standing Orders, February 18th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, discussions have taken place between the parties and I believe you would find consent to deem Government Business No. 9 carried without debate.

[Official Languages Act, February 17th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege for me to take part in the debate today in the House on Bill S-3, an act to amend the Official Languages Act (promotion of English and French).

As members are no doubt aware, I represent the unique riding of Saint-Boniface, Manitoba. This riding has an extremely dynamic francophone community currently experiencing significant development in a minority situation.

From my active involvement in Manitoba's francophone community, I can tell you that I am extremely concerned by the challenges and opportunities this community faces. This subject has held a special interest for me since my arrival in the House. So, it is a pleasure for me to speak on something close to the heart of those I represent.

This bill was presented in the other place by Senator Jean-Robert Gauthier and was adopted by the senators on October 26, 2004. Today, it is being sponsored by my colleague, the hon. member for Glengarry—Prescott—Russell. All the members in the House recognize the commitment of the hon. member, who has worked tirelessly to move the official languages file forward.

The intention of this bill amending the Official Languages Act is to reinforce the equal status of the official languages of Canada and Canada's commitment in this regard.

Mr. Gauthier introduced an initial version of this bill, S-32, on September 19, 2001, in the Senate. Subsequently, Bills S-11 and S-4 were introduced. Each time, the bill made it a little further in the parliamentary process.

The same thing can be said about the government's action with regard to the official languages. Much has changed since the end of 2001. The Minister responsible for the Official Languages has been appointed, the action plan for official languages has been officially unveiled, and the accountability and coordination framework that was part of the action plan, is starting to show results.

The Government of Canada's commitment to linguistic duality is unequivocal. The throne speech of October 5 reaffirms that the government will work to implement the official languages action plan and continue to promote the vitality of official language minority communities.

What then is the nature of that commitment? Section 41 of the Official Languages Act includes a formal statement of the commitment of the Government of Canada: promote linguistic duality and support and assist the development of minority francophone and anglophone communities.

This is a solemn commitment, permanent and visible to all Canadians, because it is formulated not only by the government but by the act itself. Only another act of Parliament could alter that commitment by the federal government.

How is this commitment to be implemented?

The Official Languages Act provides in section 42 that it is the Minister of Canadian Heritage who is responsible, in consultation with other ministers, for coordinating the implementation by federal institutions.

Furthermore, section 43 of the act sets out the specific mandate of the Minister of Canadian Heritage to take such measures as the minister deems appropriate and “to advance the equality of status and use of English and French in Canadian society”.

This mandate, like part VII as a whole, is clearly built upon the principle of advancement of official languages that underlies subsection 16(3) of the charter.

The commitment of the federal government in section 41 and its implementation under section 42, as well as the specific mandate set out in section 43, are very broad. Their realization depends not only on establishing and managing priorities and allocating funds and other available resources. To a large extent, we depend on the cooperation of many other actors, including provincial and territorial governments, private sector enterprises, voluntary organizations and other institutions and associations which do not fall within the legislative and regulatory control of the federal government.

If Bill S-3 were not amended to limit the scope, it could create obligations that would be impossible to meet and would affect our relations with the provinces and territories. This is why, while supporting the underlying principle of Bill S-3, we would like to be sure that it will not have the effect of hampering relations with the provinces and territories. The Government of Canada works in close cooperation with the provinces and territories in this regard, and that cooperation must continue.

Clearly, the Government of Canada assumes the commitment set out in part VII of the Official Languages Act, but this does not mean it cannot be proactive. That is why we support the underlying principle to Bill S-3, while wishing to restrict its scope. We must not lose sight of everything that has happened since the first version of this bill was tabled in 2001.

In April 2001, the Prime Minister gave the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs the new mandate to “consider strong new measures that will continue to ensure the vitality of minority official-language communities and to ensure that Canada’s official languages are better reflected in the culture of the federal public service.”

As a result, on March 12, 2003, the Government of Canada announced that it would be investing $751 million over five years in an official languages action plan. It also made a commitment, through that action plan, to improve accountability and horizontal management and to provide better support to official language minority communities.

I am pleased to have had this opportunity to speak on Bill S-3. May I express my thanks in closing to Senator Jean-Robert Gauthier for his defence of Canada's official language minority communities over so many years.

[Belgian Community, February 10th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, 2005 is the 100th anniversary of Le Club Belge in Manitoba. Since 1905, Le Club Belge has been serving the Belgian Canadian community of Saint-Boniface, Winnipeg and rural Manitoba.

I want to congratulate all the members of Le Club Belge who, over the years, have managed to promote and preserve the culture and heritage of the Belgian community. The first group of some 200 Belgians immigrated to Canada in 1888 and settled in the rural French-speaking parishes of Manitoba.

Le Club Belge, founded in 1905, offers to all newcomers a meeting place for cultural, social and sports activities in the community. It is also home to Branch 107 Belgian Veterans who have made a significant contribution to preserving Canada's democracy and quality of life.

The influence of the Belgian community is certainly felt through the written press, and the business, political and banking sectors in our province.

Congratulations to Le Club Belge on its 100th anniversary. It has certainly left its mark in the unique riding of Saint Boniface.