CANADA House of Commons Debates VOLUME 140 Ï NUMBER 079 Ï 1st SESSION Ï 38th PARLIAMENT OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Monday, April 11, 2005 Speaker: The Honourable Peter Milliken CONTENTS (Table of Contents appears at back of this issue.) All parliamentary publications are available on the ``Parliamentary Internet Parlementaire´´ at the following address: http://www.parl.gc.ca 4845 HOUSE OF COMMONS Monday, April 11, 2005 The House met at 11 a.m. The modern era of the official languages began with the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism, as the federal Prayers government attempted to adapt to new realities, particularly the Quiet Revolution in Quebec. Ï (1105) PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS Ï (1100) In 1969, in light of the recommendations in the report tabled by [Translation] the commission, Parliament adopted the first Official Languages Act, which recognized French and English as the official languages of all OFFICIAL LANGUAGES ACT federal institutions. This legislation required such institutions to The House resumed from February 17 consideration of the motion serve Canadians in the official language of their choice. that Bill S-3, an act to amend the Official Languages Act (promotion of English and French), be now read the second time and referred to The fundamental principles of the current official languages a committee. policy are enshrined in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms Mr. Marc Godbout (Ottawa—Orléans, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, it is of 1982 and the Official Languages Act of 1988. This legislation has certainly an honour and a privilege for me to rise today in support of three main objectives: to ensure respect for English and French as the Bill S-3 to amend the Official Languages Act by making part VII official languages of Canada, and ensure equality of status, and equal subject to the court remedies provided by this act. Initially, this bill rights and privileges as to their use in all federal institutions; to was introduced in the Senate by the hon. Senator Jean-Robert support the development of English and French linguistic minority Gauthier. communities and to encourage the acceptance and use of both English and French in Canadian society; and to set out the powers, Allow me to begin by commending Senator Jean-Robert Gauthier duties and functions of federal institutions with respect to the official on his tenacity and commitment to the Canadian official languages languages of Canada. policy. Bill S-3 was the fourth bill introduced by the hon. senator, who had previously introduced Bill S-4, which died on the order paper when Parliament was prorogued in the spring of 2004; Bill Part VII of this act also sets out the government's commitment to S-11, which died on the order paper when Parliament was prorogued enhancing the vitality of francophone and anglophone minority in 2003; and Bill S-32, which died on the order paper when communities and supporting and assisting their development; and Parliament was prorogued in the fall of 2002. fostering the full recognition and use of both English and French in Canadian society. I take this opportunity to acknowledge the invaluable contribution and extraordinary work of Senator Jean-Robert Gauthier, who has always been a great defender of the rights of Franco-Ontarians and To do this, the Government of Canada seeks to collaborate with francophones outside Quebec. other partners to ensure the advancement of the official languages in Canadian society. This legislation makes the Minister of Canadian I want to pay tribute to this citizen of Ottawa, who has had an Heritage responsible for promoting a coordinated approach to the exceptional career in the House of Commons and in the Senate. In implementation of the federal government's commitment, in addition to his work as an MP and a senator, and his involvement in consultation with the other federal institutions, the other orders of the community, he was the Chair of the Assemblée parlementaire de government and the agencies representing the different sectors of la Francophonie from 1997 to 1999. He is a role model for all society. Canadians, and we thank him for everything he has done for francophone and Acadian communities across Canada. The Minister of Canadian Heritage is the one responsible for The official languages policy is rooted in the past and the present. taking such measures as she deems appropriate to support linguistic People have spoken French and English in Canada for centuries and, minority communities by supporting the various groups that work I am proud to say, they continue to do so in every region of our vast for these communities and by facilitating the contribution of other land. organizations and federal departments to their development. 4846 COMMONS DEBATES April 11, 2005 Private Members' Business The Department of Canadian Heritage enters into agreements on and supports 94% of anglophones in Quebec studying in English- official languages with the provinces and territories in order to language schools. These programs also allow 2.4 million young enable them to provide minority communities with education in their Canadians—more than 313,000 of whom are in immersion classes— language and services in English and French in the regions of to learn a second official language, which increases significantly the Canada in which these minorities live, as well as enhancing number of Canadians familiar with the French language and culture. opportunities for all Canadians to learn English or French as a Clearly, the education partnership works well. second language. The legislation also aims to promote English and French within Accordingly, the logical next step for Canadian Heritage as Canadian society by providing support to the various groups helping facilitator is to encourage its other partners to do more in order to to recognize and implement the use of both official languages, and to help official language communities flourish. strengthen understanding and dialogue between Canada's anglo- phone francophone communities. The action plans the department puts in place must take into Look at the progress made in education. Recent statistics indicate account the requirements of the minority official language commu- that young people from linguistic minorities represent the same nities and be formulated following consultation with them, so that percentage of university graduates as other young Canadians, which departments and agencies include these considerations in planning was not the case 30 years ago. their activities. The plans together with a report on the results Ï (1110) achieved are submitted annually to the Minister of Canadian Heritage, who then submits a report annually to Parliament on the Thanks to the support provided to minority language education, realization of the government's commitment. the Department of Canadian Heritage works to ensure full participation by both language groups in all spheres of life in Canada. Not only do these programs foster the vital cultural We recognize a lot of work remains to be done. For this reason, contribution of anglophone and francophone minorities, , they also the government is currently implementing its action plan for official give them access to economic development. languages, announced on March 12, 2003, which adds $751 million over five years to the official languages budget and which will So the progress that has been made in francophone minority benefit all Canadians seeking better access to our rich linguistic education has played a key role in reducing illiteracy and the number duality. of school drop-outs, while increasing the rate of participation in post- secondary education. Ambitious and realistic, the action plan truly provides new Thirty years ago, not only was the quality and accessibility of momentum for Canada's linguistic duality. A new accountability and French education for francophone minorities a major challenge, it coordination framework has been developed and will consolidate the was also a major obstacle to the development and survival of these Government of Canada's policy, administrative and financial communities across Canada. There has been a considerable change activities. One of the desired effects is to have federal institutions since then. implement the Official Languages Act in a concerted and consistent In 1982, official language minority communities won the right to manner and to report more transparently to the public. This be educated in their own language and, a few years later, the accountability and coordination framework is designed to show the Supreme Court of Canada confirmed their right to run their own Canadian public the seriousness with which the Government of schools. We built schools, school-community centres, and colleges Canada treats this important matter. where there were none. We worked with the provinces and francophone parents from one Let us return, however, to S-3. Given the importance of the end of the country to the other. The economic value of quality public proposed amendments to the Official Languages Act, we must take education in their own language for 1.9 million Canadians living in the time to examine all of the options open to us before we continue. an official language minority community, cannot be underestimated. This is a serious matter. The implications of amending an act are many, and all must be taken into account. Therefore, the aim of Bill The Official Languages in Education Program and the collabora- S-3 is certainly the logical evolution of the Official Languages Act tion between the provinces, territories and the federal government and the bill should not be taken lightly. It is important not only for allows more than 250,000 young people in official language official language communities across Canada, but for Canadian minority communities to study in their own language in some 700 society as a whole. primary and secondary schools across the country. All Canadians benefit from minority language education pro- Ï (1115) grams.