LANG Committee Report
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Tuesday, February 4, 2003 (Meeting No. 7) The Standing Committee on Official Languages met in camera at 9:26 a.m. this day, in Room 112-N, Centre Block, the Chair, Mauril Bélanger, presiding. Members of the Committee present: Carole-Marie Allard, Mark Assad, Mauril Bélanger, John Bryden, Yvon Godin, Benoît Sauvageau, Raymond Simard and Yolande Thibeault. Acting Members present: Larry Bagnell for Eugène Bellemare and Serge Marcil for Jeannot Castonguay. In attendance: From the Research Branch of the Library of Parliament: Marion Ménard, Analyst. The Committee proceeded to the consideration of a draft report on the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. It was agreed, That the draft report, as amended, be adopted as the First Report of the Committee. It was agreed, That the report be entitled: Role and Responsibilities of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications in Developments in the Area of Official Languages in Canada. It was agreed, That the Committee append to its report, supplementary or dissenting opinions from the opposition parties provided that they are no more that 5 pages in lenght and submitted electronically to the Clerk of the Committee, no later than 12:00 p.m. on February 5, 2003. It was agreed, That the Chair, Clerk and researchers be authorized to make such grammatical and editorial changes as may be necessary without changing the substance of the report. It was agreed, That, pursuant to Standing Order 109, the Committee request that the Government table a comprehensive response to the report. It was agreed, That the Committee print 550 copies of this report in tumble bilingual format with a standard cover. It was agreed, That the Chair present the report to the House. It was agreed, That the work of the Committee be communicated to the public by a press release and that a press conference be held on the day when the report is presented to the House. It was agreed, That, notwithstanding with Standing Order 118(1), the Standing Committee on Official Languages ask the House to reduce the Committee’s quorum to seven (7) members. The Committee commenced consideration of matters related to committee business. That the next witnesses to be invited to appear before the Committee are as follows: For the week of February 3, 2003, (1) some witnesses regarding the concerns of the acadian community of New-Brunswick about a proposal of redrawing the constituencies of this province, (2) some witnesses regarding the concept of “community of interest” that comes from the Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act and (3) some representatives from the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency about the services offered in both official languages in large-sized airports and border crossings. For the week of February 10, 2003, (1) the minister of National Defence and the Chief of the Defence Staff regarding the Department’s latest report submitted to the Treasury Board on official languages and the (2) the minister of Citizenship and Immigration for the Committee’s study entitled “Immigration and Official Language Minority Communities”. For the week of February 17, 2003, the Quebec Community Group Network, the Commissioner on Official Languages and Mr. Carsten Quell, author of a study entitled “Official Languages and Immigration: Obstacles and Opportunities for Immigrants For the week of March 17, 2003, the minister of Intergovernmental Affairs regarding his action plan about official languages. Later, in March, the Committee will begin a study entitled: “Part VII of the Official Languages Act with regard to health care”. At 10:15 a.m., the sitting was suspended. At 10:28 a.m., the Committee resumed sitting in public, the Vice-Chair, Yolande Thibault, presiding. Benoît Sauvageau moved, That the Standing Committee on Official Languages request the Liaison Committee to make available a budget of $30,000 in order to cover a portion of the legal fees incurred by Mr. Mauril Bélanger for his role as intervener in Quigley. After debate, the question was put on the motion and it was agreed to. It was agreed, That it be noted in the Minutes of Proceedings that Mauril Bélanger abstained from voting when the question was put on this motion. At 10:45 a.m., the Committee adjourned to the call of the Chair. Marc-Olivier Girard |