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Minutes of Proceedings

44th Parliament, 1st Session
Meeting 45
Tuesday, December 13, 2022, 11:23 a.m. to 1:05 p.m.
Webcast
Presiding
René Arseneault, Chair (Liberal)

• Hon. Marc Garneau (Liberal)
• Anthony Housefather (Liberal)
• Alain Rayes (Independent)
• Darrell Samson (Liberal)
House of Commons
• Jean-François Pagé, Legislative Clerk
• Émilie Thivierge, Legislative Clerk
 
Library of Parliament
• Lucie Lecomte, Analyst
• Emilie Lusson, Research Assistant
Department of Canadian Heritage
• Julie Boyer, Assistant Deputy Minister, Official Languages, Heritage and Regions
• Sarah Boily, Director General, Official Languages
• Chantal Terrien, Manager, Modernization of the Official Languages Act
Department of Citizenship and Immigration
• Alain Desruisseaux, Director General, Francophone Immigration Policy and Official Languages Division
Treasury Board Secretariat
• Carsten Quell, Executive Director, Official Languages Centre of Excellence, People and Culture, Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer
Pursuant to the order of reference of Monday, May 30, 2022, the committee resumed consideration of Bill C-13, An Act to amend the Official Languages Act, to enact the Use of French in Federally Regulated Private Businesses Act and to make related amendments to other Acts.

The committee commenced its clause-by-clause study of the Bill.

Pursuant to Standing Order 75(1), consideration of Clause 1 (short title) was postponed.

The Chair called Clause 2.

On Clause 2,

Joël Godin moved, — That Bill C-13, in Clause 2, be amended by replacing line 18 on page 1 to line 16 on page 2 with the following:

“ted to respecting Quebec's language planning choices, as set out in the Charter of the French language;”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Joël Godin and it was negatived on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Mario Beaulieu, Bernard Généreux, Joël Godin — 3;

NAYS: Niki Ashton, Francis Drouin, Angelo Iacono, Arielle Kayabaga, Patricia Lattanzio, Marc G. Serré — 6.

Mario Beaulieu moved, — That Bill C-13, in Clause 2, be amended

(a) by replacing line 20 on page 2 with the following:

“the duty to provide opportunities for everyone”

(b) by deleting lines 25 to 35 on page 2.

(c) by replacing lines 36 to 41 on page 2 with the following:

“the importance of remedying the decline in the demographic weight of French linguistic minority communities, including by restoring and increasing their demographic weight;

AND WHEREAS the Government of Canada recognizes the importance of francophone immigration in enhancing the vitality of French linguistic minority communities, including by restoring and increasing their demographic weight;”

(d) by deleting lines 42 to 44 on page 2.

(e) by replacing line 6 on page 3 with the following:

“that French is the official and common language of Quebec,”

(f) by replacing lines 16 to 29 on page 3 with the following:

“AND WHEREAS the Government of Canada recognizes that English or French linguistic minority communities are present in every province and territory and that the English linguistic minority in Quebec and the French linguistic minority communities in the other provinces and territories have different needs;

AND WHEREAS the Government of Canada recognizes that the existence of a majority-French society in a Quebec where the future of French is assured is a legitimate objective and a fundamental principle of the Canadian official languages regime;”

Debate arose thereon.

At 1:05 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.



Michelle Legault
Clerk of the committee