LANG Committee Report

SUPPLEMENTARY OPINION TO THE REPORT OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON OFFICIAL LANGUAGES BY THE BLOC QUÉBÉCOIS

The Bloc Québécois deems it appropriate to append a supplementary opinion to this report in order to clarify some of the positions proposed therein.  The Bloc is pleased to have been a committed participant in the meetings of the Committee and to have contributed to the debates held there. The recommendations overall are in keeping with what the Bloc Québécois considers should be the spirit of this report, more specifically, as regards respect for provincial jurisdictions. The Bloc does, however, consider it appropriate to make the following points.

Creation of a 14th institute of health research

RECOMMENDATION 10

The Committee recommends that a fourteenth institute be created at the CIHR to explore all issues of health care related to official language minority communities.

The Bloc Québécois usually opposes the existence of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), because they are an obvious example of encroachment in an area under Quebec’s jurisdiction. Their existence must, nevertheless, be acknowledged.  We can recognize a certain importance and validity to the creation of a fourteenth CIHR Institute, which would focus more on access by francophone minorities outside Quebec to health care in their language.

Although the Bloc Québécois continues to oppose the objectives promoted by the Government of Canada through the CIHRs, we recognize the importance of francophone minorities outside Quebec having access to health care in their own language.

“National” Health Council

RECOMMENDATION 14

The Committee recommends the Government of Canada ensure the official language minority communities are represented on the Health Council.

As indicated by the Government of Quebec in September 2003, Quebec will not be involved in the creation of the National Health Council and will not sit on it, since an agency with a similar mandate exists already in Quebec: the Conseil du bien-être et de la santé, and the Government of Canada’s creation of a “national” council is blatant encroachment in a field of jurisdiction of Quebec and the provinces.

The Bloc Québécois is pleased at recommendation 14, because it permits francophone minorities outside Quebec to be fairly represented on the future council. The Bloc Québécois recognizes as well the importance the Committee wishes to attach to respect for the official languages in this context.

Finally, the Bloc Québécois supports the Government of Quebec’s intention to share information and work with the federal government’s health council. The Bloc Québécois continues, however, to oppose any participation by Quebec in the council created by Ottawa.

In conclusion, the Bloc Québécois would like to point out the importance of the evidence given before the Committee in recent weeks to the members of the Committee

Benoît Sauvageau
MP for Repentigny
Bloc Québécois critic
for official languages and Canadian and
international Francophonies