The emotional issue of the decline of French in Canada created sparks during a particularly acrimonious meeting of the Official Languages Committee on Thursday, where members were treated to their latest testimonials from ministers, and not least.
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“It’s the first time in seven years that I’ve sat here and seen things unfold like this around the table”: it was in these words that the chairman of the committee, Acadian René Arseneault, describes the scene unfolding before his eyes.
In a context where French is in decline across Canada, where Francophones are struggling to be served in their language in hospitals in Montreal and French-speaking Ontario, where the bosses of large companies established in Quebec do not deign to learn French , members feel that Bill C-13 represents the best chance in generations to set things straight.
This is why the Minister of Heritage and Lieutenant of Quebec, Pablo Rodriguez, was eagerly awaited by the most combative members of the committee, the Conservative Joël Godin and the Bloc Québécois Mario Beaulieu, during this last hearing.
The tone quickly rose between the Minister and Mr. Godin and Mr. Rodriguez as of the first question, which dealt with the powers of the Treasury Board in the application of the Act.
“My question is clear, whether it is relevant to you or whether it is not, it is not important, I ask you to answer!, launched Joël Godin, gesticulating towards Minister Rodriguez. Assume it! Assume it!”
“You haven’t been in power for a long time, you don’t understand how it works,” retorted Pablo Rodriguez to his conservative counterpart, who wondered “why [le ministre] has that attitude.”
Franco-Ontarian Liberal Francis Drouin felt the need to intervene. “If you have difficulty hearing, I suggest that MPs use the [oreillettes] because it works very well, he said. It’s a small room here, I’m going to have to go get some earmuffs because it screams quite loudly.
Bloc Québécois Mario Beaulieu demanded explanations for the funding granted to organizations defending the rights of Anglophones, some of which, according to him, insinuated that the Quebec government was “racist” and “intolerant”.
“Does this reflect your point of view, you have already done so in the House, you apologized,” said Mr. Beaulieu.
“That’s a personal attack Mr. Beaulieu, I hope you’ll withdraw that,” replied Mr. Rodriguez. He accused the Bloc member of taking “funny tangents”.
“Unlike Mr. Beaulieu, I am convinced that we can strengthen the French fact without attacking the English-speaking minority,” he said. Quebecers, we are not racist.”
Unanswered questions
The palpable frustration was also due to the “generalities” offered by ministers Rodriguez and Ginette Petitpas Taylor, who is at the helm of the reform of the Official Languages Act.
At the end of the entertaining exercise, Ms. Petitpas Taylor declared that she was open to amendments, without specifying which ones. Quebec has proposed several, including that of subjecting companies under federal jurisdiction to Bill 101.
Introduced about two years ago, the Official Languages reform has undergone a significant number of transformations, after countless consultations and procrastination.
The Liberal government had hoped to get it over with before the Holidays by speeding up the work of the committee, but faced with a stalemate that lasted seven sessions, changed its mind by finding a compromise with the opposition to hear from four ministers.
If all goes as planned, the most significant Official Languages reform in decades would be adopted between February and March.