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Minutes of Proceedings

44th Parliament, 1st Session
Meeting 51
Friday, February 17, 2023, 8:58 a.m. to 10:46 a.m.
Webcast
Presiding
René Arseneault, Chair (Liberal)

• Hon. Marc Garneau (Liberal)
• Anthony Housefather (Liberal)
• Alain Rayes (Independent)
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
• Marcel Fallu, Manager, Modernization of the Official Languages Act
• 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
Department of Justice
• Mr. Warren J. Newman, Senior General Counsel, Constitutional, Administrative and International Law Section, Public Law and Legislative Services Sector
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 resumed its clause-by-clause study of the Bill.

The committee resumed clause-by-clause consideration on Clause 21 of the Bill.

Joël Godin moved, — That Bill C-13, in Clause 21, be amended

(a) by replacing lines 3 and 4 on page 11 with the following:

“41 (1) The Government of Canada shall

(a) enhance and protect the vitality of the English and French”

(b) by replacing line 6 on page 11 with the following:

“port and assist their development, taking into”

(c) by replacing line 9 on page 11 with the following:

“(b) foster the full recognition and use of both En‐”

(d) by replacing lines 13 and 14 on page 11 with the following:

“due to the predominant use of English, shall protect and promote the French language.”

Debate arose thereon.

Mario Beaulieu moved, — That the amendment be amended

(a) by substituting the following for paragraphs (a) and (b):

“(a) by replacing lines 3 to 6 on page 11 with the following:

“41 (1) The Government of Canada shall

(a) enhance and protect the vitality of the English and French linguistic minority communities in Canada, as well as of francophones in Quebec, and support and assist their development, taking into””;

(b) by substituting the following for paragraph (c):

“(b) by replacing lines 9 to 10 on page 11 with the following:

“b) foster the full recognition and use of both English and French in Canadian society while taking into account the fact that French is the official and common language of Quebec.””;

(c) by substituting, for the reference to “(d)” in the opening portion of paragraph (d), a reference to “(c)”.

After debate, the question was put on the subamendment of Mario Beaulieu and it was negatived on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Mario Beaulieu, Bernard Généreux, Joël Godin, Jacques Gourde, Richard Lehoux — 5;

NAYS: Niki Ashton, Francis Drouin, Arielle Kayabaga, Marie-France Lalonde, Viviane Lapointe, Marc G. Serré — 6.

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, Jacques Gourde, Richard Lehoux — 5;

NAYS: Niki Ashton, Francis Drouin, Arielle Kayabaga, Marie-France Lalonde, Viviane Lapointe, Marc G. Serré — 6.

Joël Godin moved, — That Bill C-13, in Clause 21, be amended by replacing line 11 on page 11 with the following:

“(2) The Government of Canada, recognizing and taking into account that French”

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

YEAS: Niki Ashton, Mario Beaulieu, Francis Drouin, Bernard Généreux, Joël Godin, Jacques Gourde, Arielle Kayabaga, Marie-France Lalonde, Viviane Lapointe, Richard Lehoux, Marc G. Serré — 11;

NAYS: — 0.

Niki Ashton moved, — That Bill C-13, in Clause 21, be amended by replacing line 16 on page 11 with the following:

“ing formal, non-formal and informal opportunities for members of English and French lin‐”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Niki Ashton and it was agreed to on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Niki Ashton, Mario Beaulieu, Francis Drouin, Bernard Généreux, Joël Godin, Jacques Gourde, Arielle Kayabaga, Marie-France Lalonde, Viviane Lapointe, Richard Lehoux, Marc G. Serré — 11;

NAYS: — 0.

Joël Godin moved, — That Bill C-13, in Clause 21, be amended by replacing lines 20 and 21 on page 11 with the following:

“(4) The Government of Canada is committed to periodically cause to be counted the number of”

Debate arose thereon.

Marc G. Serré moved, — That the amendment, proposing to amend Clause 21 of Bill C-13 by replacing lines 20 and 21 on page 11, be amended by:

(a) Substitution after the words “Government of Canada” with the following: “periodically estimates, using the necessary tools, the number of”, so that the text reads:

“(4) The Government of Canada periodically estimates, using the necessary tools, the number of”.

After debate, the question was put on the subamendment of Marc G. Serré and it was agreed to on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Niki Ashton, Francis Drouin, Arielle Kayabaga, Marie-France Lalonde, Viviane Lapointe, Marc G. Serré — 6;

NAYS: Mario Beaulieu, Bernard Généreux, Joël Godin, Jacques Gourde, Richard Lehoux — 5.

At 10:05 a.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 10:07 a.m., the sitting resumed.

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Joël Godin, as amended, and it was agreed to on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Niki Ashton, Francis Drouin, Arielle Kayabaga, Marie-France Lalonde, Viviane Lapointe, Marc G. Serré — 6;

NAYS: Mario Beaulieu, Bernard Généreux, Joël Godin, Jacques Gourde, Richard Lehoux — 5.

Joël Godin moved, — That Bill C-13, in Clause 21, be amended by replacing lines 30 to 32 on page 11 with the following:

“the positive measures necessary for the implementation of the commitments under subsections (1) to (3) are taken.”

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, Jacques Gourde, Richard Lehoux — 5;

NAYS: Niki Ashton, Francis Drouin, Arielle Kayabaga, Marie-France Lalonde, Viviane Lapointe, Marc G. Serré — 6.

Francis Drouin moved, — That Bill C-13, in Clause 21, be amended by replacing lines 30 to 32 on page 11 with the following:

“the commitments under subsections (1) to (3) are implemented by the taking of positive measures.”

Debate arose thereon.

Joël Godin moved, — That the amendment be amended by replacing the words “commitments under subsections (1) to (3) are implemented by the taking of positive measures.” with the following: “positive measures are taken for the implementation of the commitments under subsections (1) to (3).”.

The Chair ruled the proposed subamendment inadmissible as it introduced a new proposition that should be moved as a substantive motion, as provided on page 541 of House of Commons Procedure and Practice, Third Edition.

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Francis Drouin and it was agreed to on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Niki Ashton, Francis Drouin, Arielle Kayabaga, Marie-France Lalonde, Viviane Lapointe, Marc G. Serré — 6;

NAYS: Joël Godin, Jacques Gourde, Richard Lehoux — 3.

At 10:46 a.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.



Michelle Legault
Clerk of the committee