Procedure and House Affairs committee  I apologize. I'm getting enthusiastic about this.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  It's a beginning. We are trying to listen. The Supreme Court has said about the charter that it should be interpreted in a liberal and purposive way. When I say liberal, I don't mean the Liberal Party, but in an open, evolutionary way. I think that all the rights included in th

Procedure and House Affairs committee  There are a number of indigenous languages and large language families, including Algonquian, which has at least five different dialects. The same goes for the Cree and Ojibway families. There are regional variations. I believe that it is up to each indigenous member of Parliame

Procedure and House Affairs committee  They don't have the same status as English or French, which is provided very clearly in the Constitution in sections 16 to 20 of the charter and in section 23, of course, for the teaching of official languages to minorities in various provinces, but they have a status. It's not a

Procedure and House Affairs committee  I thank you for the question. You would need to ask me to come back to elaborate on this because—

Procedure and House Affairs committee  —as you know, I'm a veteran of constitutional negotiations stemming back into the 1970s. I have always resisted the use of the word “nation” to try to—how should I say this?—singularize groups in Canada. As I say, we are different peoples. We come from different historical backg

Procedure and House Affairs committee  No, not at this stage. However, what we do and what I suggest you do is that when there is a new senator appointed, the clerk can ask the new senator if they would consider using the aboriginal language and explain the process to them. For instance, after a general election, when

Procedure and House Affairs committee  As I say, in the beginning, we considered asking the senators to have their text already translated, so that it could be printed in Hansard. That's a way to start. As I say, we all learn from the experience. To have it printed the next day, within the same time limit, could be a

Procedure and House Affairs committee  I just want to confirm what Senator Patterson has mentioned. It is within the overall envelope of services to senators that the funds are made available. We're not talking a big amount of money because it's not on a daily basis. It's not as if we would have to earmark one positio

Procedure and House Affairs committee  Forty-eight hours is normally the period. It has proven, so far as Inuktitut is concerned, to be a reasonable deadline for a senator to inform the clerk that he or she would want to address the Senate or the committee in that language. We think that 48 hours is a reasonable perio

Procedure and House Affairs committee  There are eight aboriginal languages plus French and English, and of course in Nunavut there are four languages. The precedent of a legislature using an aboriginal language in Canada exists in the Northwest Territories and in Nunavut. In fact, there was a fact-finding mission o

Procedure and House Affairs committee  I can.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  I'll conclude. I know the time is short. I understand the pressure under which you work and exercise your responsibilities. I would draw your attention to that general context in which we are in an evolving situation. I met with the Minister of Heritage two years ago when I intr

Procedure and House Affairs committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. I want to thank the members of the committee who have extended the invitation. I am very pleased to be able to join you this morning. I wish to provide the committee the context in which the Senate decided to allow the use of aboriginal languages, singular