Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I'd like to start by thanking you for appearing today. And I must say, Mr. O'Connor, that I appreciated the fact that you made the effort of speaking French in the first part of your speech. As a French-speaker who did not use to speak English, I simply want to acknowledge that effort.
Colonel Milot, you said that not imposing bilingualism helps ensure compliance with the Official Languages Act. That's illogical. I'm not going to ask you to respond to that, but I can tell you that the opposite is true.
Ms. Verner, you referred to concrete action. Section 2 of Bill S-3 states:
43.(1) The Minister of Canadian Heritage shall take measures to advance the equality of status and use of English and French in Canadian society and may take measures to [...]
"Shall take measures" means doing your outmost to reach the equality of status and use of French and English. No reference is made to limiting bilingualism measures. You said earlier your government had taken concrete steps. I'm not about to congratulate you. Axing the Court Challenges Program was perhaps a concrete step in your opinion, and it may very well be as far as your government is concerned, but it certainly is not a positive measure.
Mr. O'Connor, you referred to the work you're doing on bilingualism and you mentioned there were francophone, anglophone and bilingual units. But it won't always be possible to have francophones with other francophones, anglophones with other anglophones, and bilingual persons with other bilingual persons.
Minister, can you tell me, in the sort of situations Canada is currently facing, how you're going to make sure our soldiers are safe and healthy?
I'd like you to answer me in French.