Official Languages committee  Quite so, Ms. Lapointe. In Manitoba for instance, the Public Schools Act gives francophones the right to build day cares that are attached to the French-language schools. In order to know how many spots are needed, the francophones have to be enumerated. I will give you a very

Official Languages committee  Yes, it could sign a strategic agreement with the school boards so that money will go into the pockets it should go into, and be spent correctly. We have to ensure total accountability and prevent the provinces from spending money as they wish when it comes to language and cultur

Official Languages committee  First, put your foot down and recommend that this be done in your report. Second, I think that this idea of limiting the number of questions asked in the census is a red herring. I think that Canadian men and women are mature enough to answer more questions. Mr. Roy already expl

Official Languages committee  You know that lawyers love conflict. At a certain level, we are pleased. On the other hand, these schools are what count. The communities don't want revenge for the past 50 years. They want a future that makes sense and that will allow parents to transmit their language and their

Official Languages committee  So little time is difficult for a lawyer, Mr. Chair. The future of French outside Quebec depends on the Government of Canada. Whether it is through the so-called strategic agreement for federal-provincial funds—the official languages in education program, or OLEP, agreements—or

Official Languages committee  It must be done. As Mr. Roy explained, it will be done better, more reliably, more quickly and at a lower cost if Ottawa does it. But someone has to.

Official Languages committee  The more objective the data, the more reliable it is. When it comes from Ottawa, some provinces are almost not interested in counting or counting properly. Ironically, it's sometimes preferable to have some distance. This is one of those cases.

Official Languages committee  Yes.

Official Languages committee  It isn't the same thing at all. When we are in front of a judge, we need real data, serious and reliable data. A sample of a sample—or a post-census survey—has very little value in court.

Official Languages committee  I'm eager to read the letter from the Ontario Minister of Education. Mr. Samson, the short answer is that I don't know. I think there are other provinces out west and in the Maritimes that are following British Columbia's lead. It is to be expected that New Brunswick, which is a

Official Languages committee  Each of the parties has appealed little aspects of the trial level decision. The case should be heard by the B.C. Court of Appeal this summer or fall. Furthermore, for the purposes of interest to us, if we go back to the document, at the bottom of page 4, you will see the subhea

Official Languages committee  British Columbia is facing serious problems. There have been all sorts of grievances, and the decision of the school board and the parents' federation was to sue the provincial government. They should have also sued Statistics Canada to obtain such an order. We have to choose our

Official Languages committee  May I start?

Official Languages committee  First, I think experts should talk to experts. On Thursday, Mr. Landry will provide you with explicit proposals for the questions to Statistics Canada. At least, that will get the work of the statisticians under way. Sometimes, it's easier to work from a first draft than from a b

Official Languages committee  Conversely, Mrs. Boucher, it is also not necessary to ask parents whether they would like to enrol their children in a French school, because that question may be too abstract for a parent who has not seen the school and who has not met with the teachers. I speak here from person