This is a single
speech (house debate) resource
from the openparliament.ca API. If you’re new here, you might want to look at the documentation. If API and JSON are gibberish to you, you’re better off at our main site.
This is a single
speech (house debate) resource
from the openparliament.ca API. If you’re new here, you might want to look at the documentation. If API and JSON are gibberish to you, you’re better off at our main site.
{
"time": "2021-03-12 10:05:00",
"attribution": {
"en": "Ms. Christine Normandin (Saint-Jean, BQ)",
"fr": "Mme Christine Normandin (Saint-Jean, BQ)"
},
"content": {
"en": "<p data-HoCid=\"6554598\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Madam Speaker, on Wednesday, March 10, the member for <a data-HoCid=\"252939\" href=\"/politicians/brad-vis/\" title=\"Brad Vis\">Mission\u2014Matsqui\u2014Fraser Canyon</a> pointed out that the French version of Bill C-19 at subclause 239(2) does not have the same meaning as the same subclause in the English version. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6554599\" data-originallang=\"fr\">We agree that on reading the bill, we see a significant difference between the two versions, because the receipt and counting of the special ballots do not appear to be done by the same body depending on the language in which one reads the bill. In one, it is the office of the returning officer in the riding, and in the other, it is in the national capital region. That is an anomaly and a significant flaw in the bill, and it has hindered debate in the House because, depending on which version an MP reads, French or English, they will have a different understanding of the special ballot voting process.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6554600\" data-originallang=\"fr\">The problem is that at this point, members have no way of knowing the government's actual intention with respect to the administration of mail-in ballots.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6554601\" data-originallang=\"fr\">As a side note, I would add that this is further evidence of the complexity and challenge of conducting parliamentary proceedings in both official languages. It also demonstrates the importance of paying close attention to this issue so that members can participate effectively and properly in parliamentary proceedings. The ultimate goal is to ensure that all of our constituents, whether francophone or anglophone, are properly represented regardless of the language in which their MP works.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6554602\" data-originallang=\"fr\">As Bosc and Gagnon point out at page 734 of <em>House of Commons Procedure and Practice</em>, the Speaker can issue a ruling on this point, even going as far as directing that the order for second reading be discharged if a bill is in incomplete form. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6554603\" data-originallang=\"fr\">This raises some important questions. Is the legislator's intent expressed in French or in English? Does the legislator think in French or in English? Finally, which version\u2014French or English\u2014should take precedence over the other?</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6554604\" data-originallang=\"fr\">I would ask you, Madam Speaker, to rule on this issue to ensure, at the very least, that the government will recalibrate and that members of the House are all on the same page as we continue to debate Bill <a data-HoCid=\"11031427\" href=\"/bills/43-2/C-19/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act (COVID-19 response)\">C-19</a>.</p>",
"fr": "<p data-HoCid=\"6554598\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Madame la Pr\u00e9sidente, le mercredi 10 mars, le d\u00e9put\u00e9 de <a data-HoCid=\"252939\" href=\"/politicians/brad-vis/\" title=\"Brad Vis\">Mission\u2014Matsqui\u2014Fraser Canyon</a> a soulev\u00e9 que la version francophone de l'article 239, paragraphe 2, du projet de loi C-19 n'avait pas la m\u00eame port\u00e9e que le m\u00eame article en version anglophone.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6554599\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Nous conviendrons que lorsque nous lisons le projet de loi, il y a une diff\u00e9rence marqu\u00e9e entre les deux versions puisque la r\u00e9ception et le d\u00e9compte des bulletins de vote sp\u00e9ciaux ne semblent pas s'effectuer au sein et par la m\u00eame instance, d\u00e9pendamment de la langue dans laquelle le projet de loi est lu. Pour l'une, c'est au bureau du directeur du scrutin de la circonscription, et, pour l'autre, c'est dans la capitale nationale. Cela constitue une anomalie ou un d\u00e9faut consid\u00e9rable du projet de loi ayant pour effet de nuire au d\u00e9bat de la Chambre puisque, selon que le d\u00e9put\u00e9 ait lu la version fran\u00e7aise ou la version anglaise, la compr\u00e9hension n'est pas la m\u00eame en ce qui a trait au processus de vote par bulletin sp\u00e9cial.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6554600\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Le probl\u00e8me est que, \u00e0 ce stade-ci, les d\u00e9put\u00e9s ne sont pas en mesure de conna\u00eetre la r\u00e9elle intention du gouvernement concernant l'administration des bulletins de vote par voie postale.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6554601\" data-originallang=\"fr\">En apart\u00e9, je dirais que cela t\u00e9moigne une fois de plus de la complexit\u00e9 et du d\u00e9fi du travail parlementaire dans les deux langues officielles et d\u00e9montre l'importance d'y porter une attention particuli\u00e8re afin que les d\u00e9put\u00e9s puissent prendre part efficacement et correctement aux travaux parlementaires. Le but ultime est que tous les citoyens soient bien repr\u00e9sent\u00e9s, qu'ils soient francophones ou anglophones, et ce, peu importe la langue dans laquelle travaille leur d\u00e9put\u00e9.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6554602\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Tel que mentionn\u00e9 dans <em>La proc\u00e9dure et les usages de la Chambre des communes</em>, de Bosc et Gagnon, \u00e0 la page 734 de la version fran\u00e7aise, le Pr\u00e9sident peut rendre une d\u00e9cision sur ce point pouvant aller jusqu'\u00e0 l'annulation de l'ordre de deuxi\u00e8me lecture en raison de la forme incompl\u00e8te du projet de loi.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6554603\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Des questions importantes se posent. L'intention du l\u00e9gislateur est-elle en fran\u00e7ais ou en anglais? Le l\u00e9gislateur r\u00e9fl\u00e9chit-il en fran\u00e7ais ou en anglais? Finalement, laquelle des versions \u2014 fran\u00e7aise ou anglaise \u2014 doit l'emporter sur l'autre?</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6554604\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Je vous invite, madame la Pr\u00e9sidente, \u00e0 rendre une d\u00e9cision sur la question afin que, \u00e0 tout le moins, le gouvernement rajuste le tir et que les d\u00e9put\u00e9s \u00e0 la Chambre soient sur la m\u00eame longueur d'onde dans le cadre de la poursuite des d\u00e9bats sur le projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"11031427\" href=\"/bills/43-2/C-19/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act (COVID-19 response)\">C-19</a>. </p>"
},
"url": "/debates/2021/3/12/christine-normandin-1/",
"politician_url": "/politicians/christine-normandin/",
"politician_membership_url": "/politicians/memberships/4496/",
"procedural": false,
"source_id": "11184156",
"h2": {
"en": "Point of Order",
"fr": "Recours au R\u00e8glement"
},
"h3": {
"en": "Canada Elections Act",
"fr": "La Loi \u00e9lectorale du Canada"
},
"document_url": "/debates/2021/3/12/",
"related": {
"document_speeches_url": "/speeches/?document=%2Fdebates%2F2021%2F3%2F12%2F"
}
}