The motion provides that members of Parliament’s Official Languages Committee have until November 17 to table amendments. They will then have almost seven hours to debate it. If elected officials have not studied the law clause by clause by noon on December 1, all other amendments will be put to the vote without further debate.
MPs are scheduled to vote on the motion on Thursday, but the outcome is a foregone conclusion because while the New Democrats will propose some amendments to the motion, they support the idea of passing the law quickly.
Conservative MP Joël Godin is outraged. That is tantamount to a gag, says the chosen one. This is the attitude of those who serve their political interests before the interests of bilingualism in Canada and the protection of French.
“I find it shameful. »
— A quote from Joël Godin, Conservative MP for Portneuf-Jacques-Cartier
Conservative MP Joël Godin does not understand the government’s rush.
Photo: Radio Canada
The Minister for Official Languages, Ginette Petitpas Taylor, makes no secret of this: she wants the pace of work to be accelerated. The minister is aiming for the bill to be passed in the House of Commons by the end of parliamentary deliberations on December 16, so that the Senate can pass it in turn before the holiday break.
“We have heard their message and we are doing everything we can to get royal assent as soon as possible. »
— A quote from Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister for Official Languages
Ms Petitpas Taylor believes it is time to move on to a new phase and reiterates that this is also what stakeholders in the field are asking of her. She recalled that the bill was introduced on March 1st and that since June more than 50 witnesses have been heard in the parliamentary committee.
The Bloc Québécois alone is proposing 90 amendments, in addition to those that the Quebec government has sent to committee members.
“It’s an end to ineligibility for Quebec. »
— A quote from Mario Beaulieu, Bloc Québécois MNA for La Pointe-de-l’Île
According to Rep. Mario Beaulieu, if Bill C-13 is passed, the new federal law will accentuate the decline of French, particularly in Quebec. No less than 90% of the Francophones in Canada live in Quebec, and there we say, “It doesn’t matter.” We do not respond to the Quebec government, we do not accept any of their requests, and federal law will continue to Anglicize Quebec, he said.
Mario Beaulieu is the Bloc Québécois’ critic for official languages.
Photo: The Canadian Press/Ryan Remiorz
The Conservatives and Bloc Québécois want the committee to stick to the timetable it set out at the outset of hearing witnesses by December 6, which would delay passage of the C-13 bill in February. Why choke for a month or two? asks Mario Beaulieu.
Minister for Official Languages and Treasury President Mona Fortier are also scheduled to testify before the committee on November 17. Everyone has 30 minutes to answer MEPs’ questions.
However, Canadian Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez will not be subpoenaed, contrary to what elected officials wanted.