LANG Committee Meeting

The Standing Committee on Official Languages met at 8:48 a.m. this day, in Room C-160, 1 Wellington Street, the Chair, the Hon. Michael D. Chong, presiding.

Mauril Bélanger moved, — That the Committee accept the request of Mr. Jean Malavoy, General Secretary of the Table de concertation du livre franco-ontarien, to appear before the Committee and that this meeting be held before December 15, 2011.

Debate arose thereon.

Jacques Gourde moved, — That the motion be amended by adding after the word “accept” the following: “the request of Mr. Jean Malavoy, General Secretary of the Table de concertation du livre franco-ontarien, and the request of Mr. Yvan LeBel, President of the Conseil des écoles fransaskoises to appear before the Committee, and that both appear on December 13, 2011”.

After debate, the question was put on the amendment and the result of the vote was announced: YEAS: 5; NAYS: 5.

Whereupon, the Chair voted in the affirmative.

Accordingly, the amendment was agreed to.

Whereupon, Mauril Bélanger appealed the decision of the Chair.

The question: "Shall the decision of the Chair be sustained?" was put and the decision was sustained on the following recorded division:YEAS: Jacques Gourde, Guy Lauzon, Costas Menegakis, Bernard Trottier, John Weston — 5; NAYS: Robert Aubin, Mauril Bélanger, Yvon Godin, Dan Harris, Élaine Michaud — 5.

The Chair's decision was sustained as the question was not negatived.

The question was put on the motion, as amended, and it was agreed to, by a show of hands: YEAS: 10; NAYS: 1.

The motion, as amended, read as follows:

That the Committee accept the request of Mr. Jean Malavoy, General Secretary of the Table de concertation du livre franco-ontarien, and the request of Mr. Yvan LeBel, President of the Conseil des écoles fransaskoises to appear before the Committee, and that both appear on December 13, 2011.

Jacques Gourde moved, — That the Committee invite the Commissioner for Official Languages to appear regarding the Annual Report on Official Languages 2010-2011 and that this meeting be held on October 20, 2011.

Debate arose thereon.

Mauril Bélanger moved, — That the motion be amended by replacing the words “October 20, 2011” with the words “October 20 or October 25, 2011, for a period of two (2) hours and that the meeting be televised”.

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Mauril Bélanger and it was agreed to, by a show of hands: YEAS: 11; NAYS: 0.

The question was put on the motion, as amended, and it was agreed to, by a show of hands: YEAS: 11; NAYS: 0.

The motion, as amended, read as follows:

That the Committee invite the Commissioner of Official Languages to appear regarding the Annual Report on Official Languages 2010-2011, and that this meeting be held on October 20 or October 25, 2011, for a period of two (2) hours, and that it be televised.

On motion of Yvon Godin, it was agreed, — That the Committee adjourn at 10 a.m. and that the witnesses scheduled to appear again on October 18, 2011, be invited to appear at a later date.

Jean-Pierre C. Gauthier made a statement and, with Tom Scrimber, answered questions.

At 9:59 a.m., the Committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.