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

Official Languages committee  Mr. Chair, I would like to answer the question, but it's based on false assumptions. The provinces have limited capacity to amend the 1867 act. Quebec has the capacity to define itself but not to amend the rights that are guaranteed to the anglophone minority under section 133 a

Official Languages committee  It's provided for under the Constitution Act, 1982, which states that authority to amend the Constitution is exercised through five types of procedures, each of which involves different actors. So as regards the part of the question concerning New Brunswick, my answer is that th

Official Languages committee  We could do better.

Official Languages committee  No, we aren't sure of that. For example, the preamble to the Constitution Act, 1867, which states that we have a constitution based on the same principle as that of the United Kingdom, is a preamble to which the courts have attributed enormous effects and consequences.

Official Languages committee  The courts disregard the preamble in other cases.

Official Languages committee  Yes, regulations can readily be amended without any contribution from parliamentarians. That's why, when parliamentarians delegate powers to the government, they have to use specific words to frame those provisions. That's why I think this requires a little refinement. The pream

Official Languages committee  We'll have to assess the impact of the act in a few years. First of all, putting names on things and acknowledging that French, which is in a majority position in Quebec, is nevertheless in decline is a first step. The fact that the federal government is now part of the solution