Official Languages committee  I appeared before the parliamentary committee when part VII was amended in 2005, and I was troubled by an addition that had been made to that part respecting compliance with provincial jurisdictions. Education is a provincial jurisdiction. As a result of its spending power and i

Official Languages committee  For example, several agreements under OLEP already contain a provision requiring the province to report to the federal government on how the funding is used. In most cases, unfortunately, it's is not enforced. Consequently, I think we should ensure that this follow-up is done. If

Official Languages committee  Yes, pardon me.

Official Languages committee  It would be the minister responsible who signs the agreements with the provinces. Whether it be OLEP, manpower training agreements or health agreements, the officials responsible establish those agreements. Consequently, it would be up to them to ensure the obligations are met.

Official Languages committee  I have to say I'd be very sad if I were unilingual because part of the world wouldn't be open to me. I find it very sad that I know only two languages. I'd like to be able to speak three, four, five or even six languages. In a restaurant in a little village in Portugal, I met a y

Official Languages committee  Two members of your committee are anglophone, but I believe that official languages must be the business of all federal members, not just those who are francophone. The official languages must be as important for people from Alberta as for those from Nova Scotia or New Brunswick.

Official Languages committee  I'd like to find an easy solution to that problem. I've often heard what you just said. I've had students who came out of immersion and told me the same thing, which is that they didn't have the opportunity to speak French after high school. This is obviously a personal choice.

Official Languages committee  Paragraph 32(2)(a) of the Official Languages Act already provides that the government should have regard not only to demographics, but also to the specific characteristics of the communities. At the time, in 1990, I appeared before the parliamentary committee that was examining

Official Languages committee  Yes, I've always been concerned about that issue. I think the capital of an officially bilingual country such as Canada should protect the image of that fundamental value, the equality of the country's two official languages. On the other hand, I know that municipalities are a p

Official Languages committee  Absolutely, if that was the question, my answer is yes. I think the language provisions stated in federal programs are too lukewarm. They should be much clearer and tell the provinces that it's that and nothing else. What's currently happening...

Official Languages committee  Absolutely.

Official Languages committee  There is obviously a variety of federal transfer programs. For example, under the Official Languages in Education Program, the OLEP, the minority communities of every province should be more involved in the agreements made under that program. That would ensure that the agreements

Official Languages committee  Yes, it's difficult, because those areas, like education, are also provincial jurisdictions. The provinces don't want the federal government to interfere in their areas of jurisdiction, except that, if the federal government decides to fund certain programs using its spending pow

Official Languages committee  I'm getting old.

Official Languages committee  We can do that.