Mr. Chairman, I will not do the same thing Mr. Cannon did yesterday. It's as though I had never left this committee. I find it ironic that those who speak against this motion are from Quebec. I find that very ironic, if not worse, with all due respect for my colleague across the way.
I have a few years of practice under my belt. It seems to me that Bill 101 in Quebec, which was the Official Languages Act of Quebec, has been butchered on several occasions by the Supreme Court, which essentially stated, and I respect and will always respect the honourable justices of the Supreme Court, that everything must be done to uphold both official languages of Canada where they must be upheld. It seems vital and essential to me that a director of the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development appointed in Iqaluit should speak English. It is possible: we could understand that he may not speak French and not understand it. But when you appoint a commissioner who is supposed to help victims of crime in Canada—to my knowledge, Quebec, unfortunately, is still a part of it—we should not even have to ask the question of whether or not this person can speak French. It is essential to me. This is an essential position. What credibility can this person expect to garner in Quebec? None, Mr. Chairman.
I also read my colleague's motion. The colleague who worked all weekend forgot to read a very important bit of legislation, the Canadian Human Rights Act. I would invite him to do so, because we at the Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development are currently studying it. I think this motion could apply in this case.
The amendment also seems interesting to me. I would vote in favour of this amendment and of course in favour of the motion. I would invite my colleagues across the way who are preparing to vote against this motion to think twice about the message they will be delivering to those who are listening to these proceedings in French and listening to us here in French today on both sides of this river.
At this point, Mr. Chairman, many things have been taken away from francophones; some people are preparing to go a lot further. I would urge you to be cautious, colleagues, because the elastic band can only be stretched so far. My colleague across the way may very well have done the research, the fact is that there is one essential point we should not lose sight of, and that is that a disservice is being done to francophones throughout Canada through important strategic appointments. What will it be tomorrow? Will the official languages commissioner only speak French or only speak English?
I agree with my colleague, and this is the only thing I will grant him, that this should apply to both official languages. I would not accept to have someone appointed to a high office in Canada who does not speak English. But you know very well, Mr. Petit, that that would never happen. Can you name one single senior official in Canada who is a unilingual francophone? Well, I can name 10, 20, or 30 who speak only English. I could name some at the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, which I know very well, who only speak English, who are in Quebec and serve aboriginal people in Quebec who only speak French.
Let's stop beating around the bush. This motion and this amendment should be supported and adopted unanimously. Otherwise, I would suggest you turn to Quebec in the coming days to see the type of reaction this receives, proving once again that French is a second-class language in this country.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.