44th Parl. 1st Sess.
April 25, 2022 11:00AM
- Apr/25/22 2:28:43 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for his question.
Protecting and promoting French is a top priority for this government. It is important that our leaders set an example, which is why Ms. Murphy is taking French classes. She recognizes the importance of being able to communicate and converse with New Brunswickers.
Once again, with our bill to modernize the Official Languages Act, we will do our part to ensure that this work continues.
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- Apr/25/22 2:29:18 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is quite funny. That is the pot calling the kettle black.
Last week, the Prime Minister was up in arms about CN appointing a unilingual anglophone board of directors.
He said he was flabbergasted and frustrated, but he himself personally appointed a unilingual anglophone lieutenant governor in New Brunswick and a Governor General of Canada who does not speak French.
How can the Prime Minister of Canada be surprised that CN is thumbing its nose at French when he personally is sending the message that French is not important?
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- Apr/25/22 2:40:24 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, last week, CN appointed a unilingual English-speaking board of directors. This reminds us of Air Canada, whose CEO boasted that he was a unilingual anglophone and had managed to live in Quebec his whole life without speaking French. It also reminds us that CN and Air Canada have something else in common besides having garnered the contempt of francophones: Both of these companies are federally regulated.
Has the minister noticed that there is a climate of hostility towards French at these federally regulated businesses?
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- Apr/25/22 2:41:36 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, in 1962, CN claimed that there were no francophones qualified to serve as vice-president. Sixty years later, CN still cannot find francophones qualified to sit on its board of directors.
That is how federally regulated companies operate, which is why Quebec wants to make these companies subject to the Charter of the French Language. The Liberal government's bill prevents Quebec from doing so, however. Instead, it would expand the bilingualism rules at Air Canada and CN to all federally regulated companies. Why not just let Quebec defend French?
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- Apr/25/22 2:42:19 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, again, I thank my colleague for his question.
The protection and promotion of French are top priorities for this government and for me, as Minister of Official Languages. That is why we are moving forward with an ambitious bill that has more teeth to ensure that all Canadians get the services they need.
I hope that my colleague will support our modernization by passing Bill C‑13 as soon as possible, because this bill will make a real difference in the lives of all Canadians.
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- Apr/25/22 2:42:52 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, let us recap.
CN appoints a unilingual anglophone board of directors. The CEO of Air Canada is a unilingual anglophone. The Prime Minister appoints a unilingual anglophone lieutenant governor in New Brunswick. The Prime Minister appoints a governor general who does not speak French. The Prime Minister even considered taking British Colombian francophones to court last month for demanding services in French.
It is clear that the federal government is incapable of protecting the French language. Why will it not let Quebec take action with its Charter of the French Language?
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- Apr/25/22 5:11:59 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I want to congratulate my esteemed colleague for making a real effort to speak in French. I encourage her to continue speaking French in the House because the French language is very important in Canada.
I completely agree with her. I think it is quite unfortunate that the government is not increasing the Canada health transfers. For once, the provinces all agree, which is quite rare. The government must increase these health transfers, and we are calling for the transfers to be increased to 35%, which is not even the level of funding that would be required to address all of the problems on the horizon in health care.
Our population is aging, which makes this increase absolutely necessary. All professional associations in Quebec and all of the provincial governments agree that the federal government must increase the Canada health transfers.
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