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Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 76

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
May 20, 2022 10:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 76 - May/20/22
Hon. Ginette Petitpas Taylor
  • May/20/22 10:28:31 a.m.
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  • Re: Bill C-13 
Madam Speaker, I would like to once again thank my colleague who has been working in this field for several decades. I am extremely grateful to him for that and for the work that he does here in Ottawa as the chair of the official languages caucus. Positive measures are indeed a very important part of Bill C-13. The stakeholders we spoke to really wanted to see improvements in the definition and handling of positive measures compared to former Bill C-32. That is exactly what we did. We took care to closely examine every word and every comma in our new bill because we want to ensure that it will really help official language minority communities. We want the positive measures to be clearly defined, because they are a very important component.
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Mr. Joël Godin (Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, CPC)
  • May/20/22 10:29:25 a.m.
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  • Re: Bill C-13 
Madam Speaker, I think the Minister of Official Languages needs to understand that this issue is very important to the Conservative Party of Canada, and it is something we want to work on. If she had listened to my speech during the first day of debate in the House of Commons, during which she gave parliamentarians the privilege of speaking, I made it clear that the Conservative Party was reaching out to the government to improve this bill. This bill is a step forward, but we need to keep moving. This is important, because now is the time to take action to halt the decline of French. Unfortunately, if this version of Bill C‑13 were to be implemented tomorrow morning, it would do nothing to halt the decline of French. If the government allows parliamentarians to speak, it will get suggestions to improve the bill in the interests of our two official languages.
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Hon. Ginette Petitpas Taylor
  • May/20/22 10:30:22 a.m.
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  • Re: Bill C-13 
Madam Speaker, I think we share the same goal of improving the bill and ultimately protecting and promoting our official languages. This debate will continue in committee, which is exactly what we want. We want to have a constructive debate with the members of the Standing Committee on Official Languages so we can produce the best version of the bill. The Official Languages Act has not been reviewed in depth in some 30 years. We want to ensure that discussions continue so we can come up with a bill that the House of Commons can pass.
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Mr. Maxime Blanchette-Joncas (Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, BQ)
  • May/20/22 10:31:06 a.m.
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  • Re: Bill C-13 
Madam Speaker, I am hoping the minister can explain something to me. How will bilingualism ensure the equality of French and English? That has been the very objective of the Official Languages Act since it was created. How can the minister explain that outside Quebec only 6% of anglophones are bilingual, whereas in Quebec almost 40% of francophones are bilingual? It seems that bilingualism only exists there. As Pierre Bourgault said so well, bilingualism is making people believe that a rabbit and a lion in the same cage are equals.
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Hon. Ginette Petitpas Taylor
  • May/20/22 10:31:39 a.m.
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  • Re: Bill C-13 
Madam Speaker, if we look at the components of Bill  C-32, our action plan and Bill C-13, it is clear that the common thread is the desire to achieve substantive equality. That is why we are going further with our bill. We want to ensure that we make our contribution to achieving substantive equality. It will not happen overnight. We recognize that French is in decline in this country. French is in decline in Canada. That is why we are moving forward with an ambitious bill. We absolutely want to correct this situation.
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Ms. Lindsay Mathyssen (London—Fanshawe, NDP)
  • May/20/22 10:32:22 a.m.
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  • Re: Bill C-13 
Madam Speaker, there is an organization in my riding, London—Fanshawe, called Planète Solidarité that offers services in French for children. I have forgotten the word in French, but for children with autistm disabilities and issues with autism, and to provide those services for their parents and children in French. How would this bill help with the people who are fighting in that organization in my riding, Planète Solidarité?
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Hon. Ginette Petitpas Taylor
  • May/20/22 10:33:15 a.m.
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  • Re: Bill C-13 
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question. It is very important to our government to support organizations in official language minority communities. If we want to sustain the vitality of these communities, we must make the necessary investments. Ever since coming to power, our government has made historic investments in all areas of official languages. Our government will continue to do the work that needs to be done. I am very much looking forward to starting the national consultations on developing the next action plan, which will enable us to develop a road map for the next five years. I am really looking forward to our cross-Canada consultations.
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Mr. Mark Gerretsen (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons (Senate), Lib.)
  • May/20/22 10:34:09 a.m.
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  • Re: Bill C-13 
Madam Speaker, it appears that the Conservatives do not even know what we are debating right now, based on the point of order that came earlier. The suggestion was that we were debating Bill C-13. We are not. We are actually debating a motion to time allocate it, because we have to: It is a position that the Conservatives have put us in. The member for New Westminster—Burnaby actually was spot-on as to why we are in the situation that we are in: Conservatives are just putting up person after person for no reason other than to obstruct this Parliament. We saw that on Monday night, when they put up speaker after speaker on a bill that they supposedly support. Can the minister please explain to the House how she sees the difficulties coming from the other side?
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Hon. Ginette Petitpas Taylor
  • May/20/22 10:35:02 a.m.
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  • Re: Bill C-13 
Madam Speaker, again, I think that we recognize that Bill C-13 is a really important piece of legislation. Yes, debate has happened in the House. This is the fourth day, but we want this debate to continue. There have been a lot of games that have been played over the past number of weeks, and we certainly do not want to see this bill stalled. Canadians are expecting us to take action when it comes to official languages, and people are watching this debate very closely. That is why we are moving forward with making sure that we finish the debate today in the House. From there, the committees will be able to do the important work that they have to do. The committee's work is independent. It is going to be able to look at this bill and make the proper assessment of it.
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Mr. Joël Godin (Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, CPC)
  • May/20/22 10:35:49 a.m.
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  • Re: Bill C-13 
Madam Speaker, how does the minister feel today knowing that the House is debating Bill C‑13 while government lawyers are preparing a court challenge against francophones in British Columbia?
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Hon. Ginette Petitpas Taylor
  • May/20/22 10:36:07 a.m.
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  • Re: Bill C-13 
Madam Speaker, as the Minister for Official Languages, I am very pleased to present Bill C-13. As I mentioned, I hope that the debates will continue so that our bill can be improved. However, this is the fourth day of debate in the House, and the Standing Committee on Official Languages will continue the work. I look forward to closely following this debate.
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The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Carol Hughes)
  • May/20/22 10:36:29 a.m.
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The question is on the motion. If a member of a recognized party present in the House wishes to request a recorded division or that the motion be adopted on division, I would invite them to rise and indicate it to the Chair. The hon. member for Longueuil—Charles-LeMoyne.
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Mrs. Sherry Romanado
  • May/20/22 10:37:01 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, I request that the motion be carried on division.
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The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Carol Hughes)
  • May/20/22 10:37:06 a.m.
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Call in the members.
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The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Carol Hughes)
  • May/20/22 10:37:06 a.m.
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The hon. member for Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston.
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Mr. Scott Reid
  • May/20/22 10:37:06 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, I request a recorded division.
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The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Carol Hughes)
  • May/20/22 11:21:09 a.m.
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  • Re: Bill C-13 
I declare the motion carried.
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Ms. Lindsay Mathyssen (London—Fanshawe, NDP)
  • May/20/22 11:21:23 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, there has been consultation among the parties and I believe if you seek it you will find unanimous consent for the following motion: That, notwithstanding any standing order, special order or usual practice of the House, the House do now proceed to Statements by Members followed by Oral Questions, and that the usual allotment of time be afforded for each rubric.
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The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Carol Hughes)
  • May/20/22 11:21:37 a.m.
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All those opposed to the hon. member moving the motion will please say nay. Okay. The House has heard the terms of the motion. All those opposed to the motion will please say nay.
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Ms. Joanne Thompson (St. John's East, Lib.)
  • May/20/22 11:22:01 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, in my beautiful riding of St. John's East, 336 kilometres of magnificent hiking trails await. The East Coast Trail is made up of 25 hiking paths, and along it we see towering cliffs and headlands, sea stacks, fjords, and a natural wave-driven geyser. There are also seabird colonies, whales, icebergs, historic sites and a 50-metre suspension bridge. There is no better way to see the natural beauty and cultural heritage of Newfoundland and Labrador's eastern edge than the East Coast Trail. Since 1994, the East Coast Trail Association has worked to reopen trails that have linked communities for generations. I am pleased to share that an additional 52 kilometres of trails and three paths from Topsail Beach to Cape St. Francis has now been opened. The trail raiser community hike will be in full force on June 4, and I invite everyone to come to the East Coast Trail.
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