It was agreed, — That, given the worrisome situation raised by the International Association of Conference Interpreters with regards to the chronic shortage of interpreters within the Parliament of Canada, the worsening of their working conditions due to Covid-19 pandemic health protocols and the acoustic shocks reported by 70% of their members due to the “toxic” sound quality of the Zoom platform, and recognizing that interpretation services are essential to the functioning of the Parliament of Canada in both official languages as required by the Constitution Act and the Official Languages Act, that the committee invite to appear:

(a) members of the International Association of Conference Interpreters and other relevant witnesses, at the earliest opportunity, for a briefing to share their concerns;

that two meetings be allocated to this study; and that the committee present a report of its findings to the House .

It was agreed, — That, in relation to the study of the Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the government's ability to deliver information in both official languages, two additional meetings be dedicated.

It was agreed, — That the motion adopted on November 24, 2020, be rescinded and replaced with the following:

That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(3)(f), the committee undertake a study on the measures that the government of Canada can take to fulfill its responsibility, as set out in the Speech from the Throne, to protect and promote French not only outside Quebec but also within Quebec; that, as part of this study, the committee:

(a) provide an objective and detailed portrait of the situation of English and French in Quebec, as well as of francophone and Acadian communities, based on key linguistic indicators, such as French as the mother tongue, main language spoken at home, language shifts, main language of work, and so on;

(b) evaluate the effectiveness of the government’s language policies, as well as the current role of federal and provincial laws, with respect to the objective of protecting and promoting French as well as the impact of these policies on provincial legislative measures to protect and promote French (particularly the Charter of the French Language in Quebec);

(c) consider possible amendments to the Official Languages Act to harmonize the government’s commitment to protect French with provincial legislation;

that the committee allocate a minimum of seven meetings to this study during the current parliamentary session; that the committee present its findings and recommendations to the House during the current parliamentary session, and that; pursuant to Standing Order 109, the government table a comprehensive response.

At 8:19 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 8:28 p.m., the sitting resumed.