Health committee  No, this is not an investigation. Bill C‑293 is forward-looking. Unfortunately, I'm afraid it's a diversion to avoid making an assessment that would be desirable. Ultimately, it's up to each administration to do its own assessment. I think the agency could, on its own initiative

Health committee  Mr. Chair, one thing is certain: it's important to recall, as the member did, the scale of the funds already invested and the mission that already exists. If the bill simply repeats the mission that already exists in other words, then it's useless. Otherwise, it must be interpre

Health committee  Most importantly, there should be a review, an assessment or an inquiry into how the federal government has exercised its powers. I fear that the bill is a diversion to avoid doing this review, assessment or inquiry. I'm afraid it will take us somewhere else, either to repetition

Health committee  Absolutely.

Health committee  Management that is as close as possible to citizens is more humane and closer to the real issues. It can also be a form of competition. If British Columbia makes a good move, it can inspire Quebec. If Quebec does well, it can inspire Alberta, and vice versa. This form of competit

Health committee  Yes. If Bill C‑293 is all about planning and thinking, I'd say those are already powers amply available to the federal bureaucracy. So there's no need to legislate. All this is already possible and permitted. Otherwise, we're talking about giving the government coercive powers t

Health committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. I would first like to thank the members of the committee for this invitation to testify about Bill C‑293. Right from the outset, I'd like to share three criticisms of the bill. First, it's an unnecessary bill in many ways; second, it distracts us from the

Official Languages committee  This is an important issue that deserves Parliament's attention. Parliament must impose obligations on the government. There are limits to overly vague delegations. You must take the time to amend the bill.

Official Languages committee  Absolutely. The government has rightly made a significant shift, a mea culpa for recent decades, and it should be commended for doing so. However, I'm afraid that overly confining that message to the preamble offers the judiciary a blank cheque for interpretation. I'm afraid tha

Official Languages committee  Mr. Chair, I'm going to be careful how I interpret Mr. Bastarache's remarks, but my impression is the same as Mr. Dalton's. The agreement is difficult because there's an old culture associated with the present Official Languages Act. The basis of that culture is a wish not to co

Official Languages committee  That's the problem with the present act. It creates a dynamic in which Quebec is, in a way, compelled to part ways with minority francophones or, in some instances, to oppose their wishes. If the amended act focuses as consistently as possible on the objectives of substantive equ

Official Languages committee  It's possible to take a personal or territorial approach. I think the key is mainly to accept that national linguistic communities aren't all in the same boat and that adapted and asymmetrical efforts are required in order to move toward substantive equality. Ottawa, with its en

Official Languages committee  Thank you for that question. I've taken a detailed look at the outstanding work that's been done to illustrate very specific amendments in real terms. As you can see, I really agree with these amendments. If I picture myself sitting on a parliamentary committee, I can understand

Official Languages committee  I don't think international law is the important thing. The important thing is to acknowledge that Quebec anglophones are in a radically different situation from that of francophones outside Quebec. They have rights. The Quebec government has always kept its word, and it will con

Official Languages committee  I discussed the first point with Mr. Godin. To sum it up in a single sentence, I'd say that the intention expressed in the preamble to the act should also be reflected elsewhere in that act. The second point concerns the intake, integration and francization of immigrants. The fe