Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Ms. Barrados, I am very happy to hear your comments today. I did not know you, and I have been asking myself some important questions for some time now.
Now then, I am going to put an important question to you as a francophone and as a woman. I would like you to answer it as a woman.
According to recently published figures, in 70% to 80% of cases, vacant positions in the federal public service are staffed with term employees. Part-time employees do not seem to have the same benefits as full-time employees.
First, are you concerned about whether or not the Official Languages Act is applied when part-time employees are hired? Second, since those part-time employees are often women, is employment equity maintained? Third, do you have a plan whereby those part-time employees can one day move up to full-time positions, since they will already have had some training? Finally, might we have a copy of that plan?