My question for the Chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources, Senator Galvez, relates to the translation of documents.

Every senator has the constitutional right to obtain documents in both official languages, but sometimes for practical reasons we tolerate receiving the documents in English only knowing that a French translation will be provided soon after.

My team is trying to prepare amendments to a bill but it doesn’t have the transcripts for certain meetings or the translation of certain documents. The documents from the April 10, 11, 12, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29 and 30 meetings and those from this morning’s meeting are not yet available in both official languages.

Furthermore, most of the time the evidence or the briefs are tabled in English accompanied by a note indicating that the French will follow. The documents we received in French over the past few days are briefs from witnesses who appeared at the April 4, 11, and 12 meetings.

Could the chair of the committee tell us when my constitutional right to receive documents in French will be respected and whether I will be given enough time to prepare amendments so that they can be properly tabled?

I don’t always use that expression appropriately, so I apologize.

However, I reiterate my demand, and I will not be waiving my constitutional right to have the documents in both official languages. I don’t want to know why these documents haven’t been tabled. I want to know when I will get them in both official languages and how much time I’ll then have to properly prepare my amendments, like any other committee member.