Proceedings of the Standing Senate Committee on
Official Languages

Issue No. 35 - Minutes of Proceedings - Meeting of December 10, 2018

OTTAWA, Monday, December 10, 2018
(72)

[English]

The Standing Senate Committee on Official Languages met in camera this day at 4:06 p.m., pursuant to rule 12- 16(1)(d), in room 257, East Block, the chair, the Honourable René Cormier, presiding.

Members of the committee present: The Honourable Senators Cormier, Gagné, Maltais, McIntyre, Mégie, Moncion, Poirier and Smith (8).

In attendance: Marie-Ève Hudon, Analyst, Parliamentary Information and Research Services, Library of Parliament, and Marcy Galipeau, Communications Officer, Senate Communications Directorate.

Also present: The official reporters of the Senate.

Pursuant to the order of reference adopted by the Senate on February 3, 2016, the committee continued its study on the application of the Official Languages Act and of the regulations and directives made under it, within those institutions subject to the Act. (For complete text of the order of reference, see proceedings of the committee, Issue No. 2.)

Pursuant to the order of reference adopted by the Senate on Thursday, April 6, 2017, the committee continued to examine and report on Canadians' views about modernizing the Official Languages Act. (For complete text of the order of reference, see proceedings of the committee, Issue No. 12.)

The chair made a statement.

The committee examined a draft report.

It was agreed:

That the amended interim draft report on the modernization of the Official Languages Act be adopted as amended.

That the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure be empowered to:

Approve the final version of the report, taking into consideration this meeting's discussions, including, if needed, the highlights of the report, the preface and the report design, with any necessary editorial, grammatical and translation changes required.

Make decisions on behalf of the committee to publish the report with the support of the Senate Communications Directorate;

That the chair be authorized to table the report in the Senate, or, with the permission of the Senate, with the Clerk of the Senate if the Senate is not then sitting.

At 4:28, the committee suspended.

At 4:33, the committee resumed in public.

WITNESSES:

Office of the Official Languages Commissioner:

Raymond Théberge, Commissioner of Official Languages;

Ghislaine Saikaley, Assistant Commissioner, Compliance Assurance Branch;

Pierre Leduc, Assistant Commissioner, Policy and Communications Branch;

Pascale Giguère, General Counsel.

The chair made a statement.

Mr. Théberge made a statement and, with Ms. Saikaley and Mr. Giguère, answered questions.

At 5:34, the committee adjourned to the call of the chair.

ATTEST:

Joëlle Nadeau
Acting Clerk of the Committee