LANG Committee Report

(Meeting No. 7)

The Standing Joint Committee on Official Languages met in camera at 3:37 p.m. this day, in Room 112-N, Centre Block, the Co-Chairs, the Hon. Shirley Maheu and Mauril Bélanger, presiding.

Members of the Committee present: From the Senate: The Hon. Lise Bacon, the Hon. Jean-Robert Gauthier, the Hon. Shirley Maheu, the Hon. Jean-Claude Rivest and the Hon. Jean-Maurice Simard.

From the House of Commons : Mauril Bélanger, Eugène Bellemare, Gérard Binet, Yvon Godin and Yolande Thibeault.

Acting Member present: From the House of Commons: Louis Plamondon for Benoît Sauvageau.

In attendance: From the Senate: Tonu Onu, Co-Clerk of the committee. From the House of Commons: Guyanne L. Desforges, Co-Clerk of the Committee and Jean-François Pagé, Legislative Clerk. From the Library of Parliament: Françoise Coulombe and Robert Asselin, Research Officers.

In accordance with Standing Order 108(1a) (2), the Committee resumed the study on the broadcasting of the House of Commons' debates in both official languages by CPAC.

The Committee proceeded with the consideration of a draft report.

It was agreed,—That the draft report titled: The Broadcasting and Availability of the Debates and Proceedings of Parliament in Both Official Languages as amended, be adopted as the second report of the Standing Joint Committee on Official Languages and that both Co-Chairs be instructed to present it to their respective House.

It was agreed,—That pursuant to Standing Order 108(1)(a) the Committee authorize the printing of the dissenting or supplementary opinions by Committee members as an appendix to this report immediately after the signature of the Co-Chairs, that the dissenting or supplementary opinions be limited to not more than two (2) pages and that they be sent to the Co-Clerk of the House of Commons, in both official languages, on/or before Monday, April 30, 2001 at noon.

It was agreed,—That pursuant to Standing Order 109, the Committee request that the government table a comprehensive response to the report within 150 days.

It was agreed,—That the Committee print 1,000 copies of its second report in tumble bilingual format with a standard cover.

It was agreed,—That the researchers and co-clerks be authorized to make such typographical and editorial changes as may be necessary without changing the substance of the report.

It was agreed,—That the work of the Committee be communicated to the public by a press release.

At 4:40 p.m., the Committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.

Tonu Onu
Co-Clerk of the Committee

Guyanne L. Desforges
Co-Clerk of the Committee