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Minutes of Proceedings

44th Parliament, 1st Session
Meeting 47
Friday, February 3, 2023, 8:53 a.m. to 10:46 a.m.
Webcast
Presiding
René Arseneault, Chair (Liberal)

• Hon. Marc Garneau for Patricia Lattanzio (Liberal)
• Jacques Gourde for Marc Dalton (Conservative)
• Ben Lobb for Joël Godin (Conservative)
• Richard Lehoux for Marilyn Gladu (Conservative)
House of Commons
• Jean-François Pagé, Legislative Clerk
• Émilie Thivierge, Legislative Clerk
 
Library of Parliament
• Lucie Lecomte, Analyst
• Emilie Lusson, Research Assistant
Department of Canadian Heritage
• Julie Boyer, Assistant Deputy Minister, Official Languages, Heritage and Regions
• Jean Marleau, Director, Modernization of the Official Languages Act
• Chantal Terrien, Manager, Modernization of the Official Languages Act
Department of Citizenship and Immigration
• Alain Desruisseaux, Director General, Francophone Immigration Policy and Official Languages Division
Treasury Board Secretariat
• Carsten Quell, Executive Director, Official Languages Centre of Excellence, People and Culture, Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer
Pursuant to the order of reference of Monday, May 30, 2022, the committee resumed consideration of Bill C-13, An Act to amend the Official Languages Act, to enact the Use of French in Federally Regulated Private Businesses Act and to make related amendments to other Acts.

The committee resumed its clause-by-clause study of the Bill.

The committee resumed clause-by-clause consideration on Clause 2 of the Bill.

The committee resumed consideration of the amendment of Anthony Housefather, — That Bill C-13, in Clause 2, be amended by replacing lines 5 and 6 on page 3 with the following:

“the National Assembly of Quebec has determined that French is Quebec’s official language within its own sphere of jurisdiction,”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Anthony Housefather and it was negatived on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Fayçal El-Khoury, Marc Garneau, Anthony Housefather, Emmanuella Lambropoulos, Sherry Romanado — 5;

NAYS: Niki Ashton, Mario Beaulieu, Bernard Généreux, Jacques Gourde, Richard Lehoux, Ben Lobb — 6.

Clause 2, as amended, carried.

On Clause 3,

Mario Beaulieu moved, — That Bill C-13, in Clause 3, be amended by replacing line 34 on page 3 with the following:

“them while taking into account the fact that they have different needs;”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Mario Beaulieu and it was agreed to on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Niki Ashton, Mario Beaulieu, Fayçal El-Khoury, Bernard Généreux, Jacques Gourde, Arielle Kayabaga, Richard Lehoux, Ben Lobb, Darrell Samson, Marc G. Serré — 10;

NAYS: — 0.

Mario Beaulieu moved, — That Bill C-13, in Clause 3, be amended by replacing line 39 on page 3 with the following:

“inant use of English and that the goal of the Charter of the French Language is to protect, strengthen and promote that language; and”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Mario Beaulieu and it was agreed to on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Niki Ashton, Mario Beaulieu, Bernard Généreux, Jacques Gourde, Richard Lehoux, Ben Lobb — 6;

NAYS: Fayçal El-Khoury, Anthony Housefather, Arielle Kayabaga, Darrell Samson, Marc G. Serré — 5.

Mario Beaulieu moved, — That Bill C-13, in Clause 3, be amended by adding after line 39 on page 3 the following:

“(b.2) ensure the existence of a majority-French society in a Quebec where the future of French is assured; and”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Mario Beaulieu and it was agreed to on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Niki Ashton, Mario Beaulieu, Bernard Généreux, Jacques Gourde, Richard Lehoux, Ben Lobb — 6;

NAYS: Fayçal El-Khoury, Anthony Housefather, Arielle Kayabaga, Darrell Samson, Marc G. Serré — 5.

Clause 3, as amended, carried.

On Clause 4,

Bernard Généreux moved, — That Bill C-13, in Clause 4, be amended

(a) by replacing line 2 on page 4 with the following:

“2.1 (1) The Treasury Board is responsible”

(b) by replacing lines 5 to 7 on page 4 with the following:

“(2) The Treasury Board shall, in consultation with the other federal departments, coordinate the implementation of this Act, including the”

(c) by replacing line 9 on page 4 with the following:

“tions 41(1) to (3), and ensure good governance of this Act.”

Debate arose thereon.

Marc G. Serré moved, — That the amendment, proposing to amend Clause 4 of Bill C-13 by replacing line 2 on page 4, by replacing lines 5 to 7 on page 4 and by replacing line 9 on page 4, be amended by:

(a) substituting, for the reference to “line 2” in the opening portion of paragraph (a) of that Motion, a reference to “line 3”;

(b) substituting the following for the text proposed by paragraph (a) of that Motion:

“for exercising leadership, in consultation with the President of the Treasury Board, within the Government of”

(c) substituting the following for the text proposed by paragraph (b) of that Motion:

“(2) The Minister of Canadian Heritage shall, in consultation with the President of the Treasury Board, coordinate the implementation of this Act, including the”

(d) substituting, for the reference to “replacing line 9 on page 4 with” in the opening portion of paragraph (c) of that Motion, a reference to “adding after line 9 on page 4”;

(e) substituting the following for the text proposed by paragraph (c) of that Motion:

“Cooperation

(3) For greater certainty, the Minister of Canadian Heritage shall perform the duty under subsection (2) in cooperation with the other ministers of the Crown.”.

At 10:20 a.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 10:24 a.m., the sitting resumed.

After debate, the question was put on the subamendment of Marc G. Serré and it was negatived on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Fayçal El-Khoury, Anthony Housefather, Arielle Kayabaga, Marc G. Serré — 4;

NAYS: Niki Ashton, Mario Beaulieu, Bernard Généreux, Jacques Gourde, Richard Lehoux, Ben Lobb, Darrell Samson — 7.

At 10:32 a.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 10:34 a.m., the sitting resumed.

The question was put on the amendment of Bernard Généreux and it was agreed to on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Niki Ashton, Mario Beaulieu, Bernard Généreux, Jacques Gourde, Richard Lehoux, Ben Lobb, Darrell Samson — 7;

NAYS: Fayçal El-Khoury, Anthony Housefather, Arielle Kayabaga, Marc G. Serré — 4.

Marc G. Serré moved, — That Bill C-13, in Clause 4, be amended by

(a) replacing lines 10 and 11 on page 4 with the following:

“2.2 (1) The Minister of Canadian Heritage shall, in consultation with the President of the Treasury Board, develop”

(b) adding after line 13 on page 4 the following:

“(1.1) For greater certainty, the Minister of Canadian Heritage shall perform the duty under subsection (1) in cooperation with the other ministers of the Crown.”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Marc G. Serré and it was agreed to on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Niki Ashton, Mario Beaulieu, Fayçal El-Khoury, Bernard Généreux, Jacques Gourde, Anthony Housefather, Arielle Kayabaga, Richard Lehoux, Ben Lobb, Darrell Samson, Marc G. Serré — 11;

NAYS: — 0.

Clause 4, as amended, carried.

Clause 5 carried.

On Clause 6,

Bernard Généreux moved, — That Bill C-13, in Clause 6, be amended by adding after line 8 on page 5 the following:

communication means any form of communication, including oral, written, electronic or virtual communications; (communication)

publication means any form of publication, regardless of the medium, including printed, electronic or virtual publications; (publication)

service means any form of service provided or made available, including oral, written, electronic or virtual services. (service)”

Marc G. Serré moved, — That the amendment be amended, in the English version:

(a) by replacing the words “electronic or virtual communications;” with the words “electronic, virtual or other communications;”

(b) by replacing the words “electronic or virtual publications;” with the words “electronic, virtual or other publications;”

(c) by replacing the words “electronic or virtual services.” with the words “electronic, virtual or other services.”.

The question was put on the subamendment of Marc G. Serré and it was agreed to.

At 10:46 a.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.



Michelle Legault
Clerk of the committee