Thank you, Madam Chair.
I'm a Franco-Ontarian and very proud of it. I worked extensively on the Official Languages Act. Unfortunately, as we know very well, only documents that are public in nature or that must be tabled in Parliament are subject to the requirements related to both official languages. Internal contracts therefore don't have to be drafted in both official languages. It's in cases where, at a later date, a request is made to do so, as is currently the case for a number of the documents, that it actually has to be done.
Of course, we wouldn't have this problem if all documents within the government, whether public or related to the work of internal employees, were produced in both official languages. Unfortunately, that's not the case.
I'd like to reiterate the importance of inviting someone from the Translation Bureau, as well as a representative from the Canada Border Services Agency, to explain why we are where we are today. That might give us some direction.
I also support my colleague's amendment because it would make it possible to prioritize the documents and, as a result, know what we need to answer questions. I can tell you that it won't be my team members reading 37,000 pages either. Much like Mr. Cannings, we don't have that option.
It's nevertheless important, as a matter of principle, to give priority to certain documents that Mr. Savard‑Tremblay referred to so that they can be translated.
I therefore support my colleague's amendment. I think that passing it will allow us to move forward.