Official Languages committee  My comments didn't concern the service to the public context. As the figures show, the public service does a good job of providing service. Instead my comments were about the context of discussions in a department. We clearly have to provide services in both languages.

Official Languages committee  There are more francophones. There is a greater representation of francophones on the executive. There are proportionately more francophones.

Official Languages committee  Yes.

Official Languages committee  My comments concerned the everyday context, not the specific context of obligations to provide service, or the supervision context. To have a truly bilingual public service, we have to use both languages in all contexts, not just in the mandatory situations.

Official Languages committee  I can ask the champion, Mr. Lemaire, who was responsible for the plan.

Official Languages committee  Yes.

Official Languages committee  I sit on a few committees of deputy ministers, not all.

Official Languages committee  Little French is used on those committees. Most of the time, the discussions are in English, but on the Treasury Board committee, which is chaired by Michelle d'Auray, we often have discussions in French.

Official Languages committee  Oh, pardon me, I misunderstood. Mr. Fraser made a presentation to the deputy ministers before tabling his report, and it was well received.

Official Languages committee  Oh, oh!

Official Languages committee  What do you mean?

Official Languages committee  I talk about it all the time.

Official Languages committee  We have a system. At the time of a promotion or a change of position, employees have to take a new exam after five years. That's one type of motivation provided by the system. I've been under some pressure to change that, but I don't want to. Otherwise, I don't have a lot of pow

Official Languages committee  I can start answering and ask Mr. Lemaire to add some points as of official languages champion. This is obviously a matter of leadership in the public service. It's not just a matter of Graham Fraser's leadership, but that of everyone's. We have a few deputy ministers who are rea

Official Languages committee  I'd like to start and then hand over to Mr. Lemaire. We have an obligation to the entire country, but the country isn't bilingual everywhere. We also have to give unilingual people a chance. It's the country. We want to have a bilingual public service. People who join the public