First, I'd like to respond to the member's comment about the deadlines being tight and the documents taking a long time to translate. At the end of the day, francophones are always the ones who pay the price. French is always sacrificed. You would be just as angry if the deputy minister had asked the same indulgence of anglophones in the letter.
Let me be clear. I am not pitting anglophones against francophones. This isn't 1759 and the battle of the Plains of Abraham. That's over. It's a subject we could discuss at length.
No one would accept the deputy minister's comments had it been French documents that weren't translated into English. We are always being asked to show indulgence and make concessions. As I said, francophones are always the ones who pay the price. We exist, and we will continue to exist. We matter. Until there is evidence to the contrary, we are part of what we currently call Canada, and we are entitled to respect like everyone else.
I'm going to push for the update because this involves a formal and official request. That is the reality and this is about respect through and through.
For that reason, I am asking that the report reflect the issue with official languages and the translation of the documents. ESDC's letter could be attached to illustrate the point.
We matter. Thank you.