44th Parl. 1st Sess.
November 3, 2022 10:00AM
- Nov/3/22 11:23:00 a.m.
- Watch
Of course I am familiar with that, Mr. Speaker. For the past three years, I have been fighting so that francophones can get the same type of services as anglophones. The unit was implemented in Montreal, but it is not being managed properly, so the response time for French applications is much longer than for English applications. Francophones have never been treated equitably in that regard. The resource is there, but the results are not.
75 words
All Topics
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Nov/3/22 11:42:57 a.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, my colleague is correct. It is a major problem.
The figures show that, in 2018, the wait time was 19 weeks for applications in English and 52 weeks for applications in French. That is outrageous.
In 2021, the wait time was on average 43 weeks for both anglophones and francophones. Service for anglophone veterans has gotten worse, and it has not gotten any better for francophones.
I cannot help but feel as though there is a certain level of systemic discrimination against francophones in this country.
88 words
All Topics
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Nov/3/22 12:10:23 p.m.
- Watch
Madam Speaker, the Bloc Québécois is very aware of the issues facing the French language. The hon. member for Rivière‑des‑Mille‑Îles, our veterans affairs critic, has taken up the fight and has often spoken about the major inequities between francophone and anglophone veterans, including the fact that francophones' files are shelved and nothing is done about them.
I would like to know whether my colleague also condemns this, and whether he thinks it is acceptable for there to be two ways of doing things in this country, the fast way for anglophones and the slow way for francophones.
110 words
All Topics
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Nov/3/22 12:25:51 p.m.
- Watch
Madam Speaker, the government has been setting targets for francophone immigration outside Quebec since 2004, but in all that time, it has never achieved those targets.
In its response to a committee report, the government admitted that there was racism within IRCC and, as a result, students from francophone African countries have been treated inequitably. In the matter before us today, it is pretty clear that francophone veterans are discriminated against compared to anglophone veterans.
Will the government admit, once and for all, that it does not care about the French fact in Canada?
94 words
All Topics
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Nov/3/22 2:24:34 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I am wearing the signature bow tie that reminds us of the importance of fighting prostate cancer and losing weight.
The Prime Minister wants to increase immigration levels to 500,000 in 2025. For Quebec, that means something like 120,000 immigrants, in addition to the majority of the people who arrive via Roxham Road.
Most of these people do not speak French. Quebec does not have the means to teach them French, house them, educate them or provide them with child care or health care.
Does the government understand that Quebec cannot accommodate 150,000 immigrants—
100 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Nov/3/22 2:25:50 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the government and the Prime Minister want to bring in something like 150,000 immigrants a year. Those individuals will not have the services they need in areas like French language learning, child care, education and health care, nor will there even be enough good jobs.
If we do not welcome them, Quebec's weight within the federation will shrink drastically, and if we do welcome them, we risk our language and identity. In both scenarios, the Quebec nation will be considerably weakened.
Which do the Liberals prefer, weakening Quebec through language or through numbers?
97 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Nov/3/22 2:26:25 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, it is unfortunate that, for the Bloc Québécois, immigrants are reduced to numbers, statistics and percentages. We are talking about men, women and children.
I have said it before, and I will say it again: Quebec already has full authority to welcome as many immigrants as it wants, all of them francophone, if it wants.
I have a question for the Bloc. If Quebec welcomes 70,000 people who speak French, 70,000 francophones, how many will require French language lessons?
87 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
Mr. Speaker, what is suspicious today is that the Bloc Québécois and the Conservatives are playing political games to prevent the bill from being passed as soon as possible.
We introduced a bill to counter the decline of French in Canada and to meet the needs of official language minority communities.
I do not understand why the Bloc and the Conservatives do not want to see us pass a bill that will do exactly that.
79 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
Mr. Speaker, we invited experts way back in February to talk to us about official languages. Together, the government and the NDP decided to cancel over 30 expert witnesses, including important groups such as the Maison de l'alphabétisation du Québec, a literacy advocacy group, and the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste, a group dedicated to protecting and promoting the French language, as well as francophone school boards in Ontario, British Columbia and Acadia, the Université de Moncton and the Association des juristes d'expression française du Nouveau-Brunswick, New Brunswick's association of French-speaking jurists.
Why—
108 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
Mr. Speaker, nothing could be further from the truth. We have been listening closely to the stakeholders, and they have told us that it is time to take the next step.
Stakeholders want to see Bill C-13 passed because they recognize that it will make a real difference in the lives of Canadians. We introduced an ambitious bill to ensure that we can do everything in our power to support our official language minority communities and reverse the decline of French. I do not understand why the Bloc Québécois and the Conservatives want to ultimately block this legislation.
103 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
Mr. Speaker, let us be clear: We are the first government to recognize the decline in French in this country. That is why we are implementing an ambitious bill.
We want to ensure that our government does everything in its power to protect our official language minority communities, and we want to ensure that we reverse the decline of the French language. Again, we have heard from many stakeholders who want the bill passed as soon as possible. I do not understand why the Bloc Québécois and the Conservative Party of Canada are doing everything they can to kill this bill. It is unacceptable.
108 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- menumenu
- notificationsnotifications
- home
- mailmail
- searchsearch
