Question Period Notes
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Q1 - How is the department supporting the sector amid high input prices? Q2 - When will the Government return funds collected by the tariff on Russian fertilizers back to the sector?
Q3 - How will this funding help producers with fertilizer management? Q4 - How can Canadian farmers and producers apply?
Q5 – What is the current status of Sollio’s appeal with Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)?
The Government of Canada has implemented 29 of the 33 new or enhanced initiatives in the Action Plan for Official Languages 2023-2028: Protection – Promotion – Collaboration in its first year and the remaining 4 will all be launched during the current year.
The Budget 2024 announced on April 16, 2024, provides for new investments of nearly $68 million in official languages over a period of up to five years, including $26 million for the implementation of the Act for the Substantial Equality of Canada’s Official Languages.
The Act for the Substantive Equality of Canada’s Official Languages Act (abbreviated title), includes, among other things, a strengthening of the Commissioner of Official Languages’ powers, such as the ability to impose administrative monetary penalties to certain privatized entities or Crown corporations currently subject to the Official Languages Act and which provides services to the travelling public.
Close collaboration is exercised to ensure governance and whole-of-government coordination of the implementation of the Official Languages Act (Act) between Canadian Heritage and Treasury Board (TB). The Act for the Substantive Equality of Canada’s Official Languages provides for significant adjustments that include, among other things, to entrust the role of government-wide coordination of the Act and its good governance to the President of TB, while the Minister of Canadian Heritage (or the designated Minister responsible for Official Languages) leads the development and implementation of a government-wide official languages strategy, in consultation with the TB President.
On June 20, 2023, Bill C-13 - An Act for the Substantive Equality of Canada's Official Languages received Royal Assent. This Act modernises the Official Languages Act (OLA) and makes significant improvements to Part VII.
On June 20, 2023, the Act for the Substantive Equality of Canada’s Official Languages (short title of Bill C-13) received Royal Assent. Among other things, the Act provides for new legislation to establish new rights to work and obtain services in French in some federally regulated private businesses in Quebec and in regions with a strong Francophone presence to be defined. The Use of French in Federally Regulated Private Businesses Act, will come into force by Order-in-Council.
The Official Languages Act, modernized in June 2023, contains a series of provisions that benefit French-speaking Canadians. Notably, it recognizes the predominant use of the English language in Canada and North America, and therefore the need to protect and promote the French language.
An article published on November 27, 2023, reports the Bloc Québécois official languages critic suggesting that the federal government has invested $2 billion to support English in Quebec since 1995, despite the decline of French in that province and in the country.
The modernized Official Languages Act includes new provisions to support Quebec's English-speaking communities. In addition, the Action Plan for Official Languages 2023-2028 provides funding for new initiatives targeted at these communities.