Official Languages committee  We were indeed consulted, as were many others, on the accountability framework. We don't think that this framework is restrictive enough. I believe federal institutions are still being given too much latitude in determining how they are going to implement the act. I think that we still need to do more to make the framework more restrictive.

Official Languages committee  That will provide us with the definitive version.

Official Languages committee  I'll return to part VII. More information is needed on positive measures, such as how to choose and implement them. The communities also need to be consulted when developing these positive measures.

Official Languages committee  A concrete mechanism is required. For example, the act refers to the disposal of property. When property becomes available, it's extremely important to consult the communities in order to determine whether it would be useful to them. Communities are often looking for land to build schools.

Official Languages committee  I don't know whether it looks like the tower of Babel, but there are always different parties involved in governance. The new Official Languages Act assigns Treasury Board a much larger role than it had in the past. What's different pertains to part VII of the act because, as I said earlier, of the Canadian Heritage and Official Languages departments' experience with the communities.

Official Languages committee  My view is that it's Treasury Board. In the new Official Languages Act, much is made about the importance of the Treasury Board's governance and role. It's a central agency, whereas the Department of Canadian Heritage is not. This department still has a role to play then, because of its relationships and experience with communities.

Official Languages committee  It depends on the subject being discussed.

Official Languages committee  I believe that the committee is free to invite—

Official Languages committee  Some portions of the act affect the minister's mandate, including CBC/Radio-Canada.

Official Languages committee  I think it has to be based on part VII of the Official Languages Act. Part VII identifies important factors. One such factor is the education continuum. We know that the quality of an educational system is a contributing factor to linguistic vitality. It's also affected by immigration policy, which has a demographic and linguistic impact.

Official Languages committee  These indicators include the state of the early childhood to post-secondary education system, the demographic evolution of communities, the impact of immigration on these communities, the impact of federal institutions on the communities, the place of culture in the communities, and the extent to which support is provided for the cultural industry in our communities.

Official Languages committee  I'm referring to the public service, and I don't think your colleague is part of it.

Official Languages committee  We realize that it's taking its time developing regulations. The situation is urgent, in my view. It should be proceeding as quickly as possible. Last year, they were talking about a three-year timeline. Now they're talking about an 18-month timeline. When will it be done? We need tools in order to do our job.

Official Languages committee  I believe this road map was developed because something was missing. The idea was to provide federal institutions with guidance as soon as possible while awaiting the part VII regulations. I think our role is to be proactive. When I work with federal institutions, I often say that it's like being a supply teacher.

Official Languages committee  As I mentioned earlier when I was speaking about the new investigative process, which I compared to a highway, I now have the power to publish an investigation summary following its conclusion. I have the power to sign compliance agreements with federal institutions. In practice, a compliance agreement is a contract.