Mr. Chair, I want to say something very clear about the interpretation service.
People were talking all around the table just before you suspended the meeting. Some microphones were unmuted, others muted. At the same time, they took it for granted that it was normal for them to do so because I speak English. That's really what's happening here in the committee.
My first concern is for the health and safety of our interpreters.
The second is that this meeting is public, which means that members of the public listen to this committee's proceedings or watch its meetings later on video. If we don't respect one of the two official languages, we necessarily aren't respecting people who are unilingual, both anglophone and francophone. In short, we aren't respecting people if their language isn't respected.
This has happened several times, and, every time, I think of the people who don't speak one of the two languages and who are listening to people speaking among themselves in that language and who understand each other. In the meantime, one of the individuals attending the meeting is required to make important decisions regarding next steps and doesn't understand what's going on. Those people don't respect the fact that others don't speak the language that's being spoken in the room.
Not only is people's linguistic identity not being respected, the interpreters, who work very hard—as you know, Mr. Chair—aren't being respected either. Their health and safety aren't being respected, nor is the very essence of the work they do, which is to help us perform our work as parliamentarians and legislators.
So once again—because I'm the one who always clarifies matters—I think we need to clarify another point because people take it for granted that they're entitled to speak without using a microphone or the interpretation service, thus failing to respect the members of the public who want to listen to us and who consider this kind of debate important.
Having said that, I look at the clock and unfortunately see that we've gone past 5:30. We have to have the unanimous consent of the committee if we want to continue.
Don't we?
