Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
I understand what Mr. Harvey is saying. Nonetheless, I want to clarify that I was the one who raised this question in the House. This conference was held in my region. As I said in a previous meeting, I had the opportunity to meet the Senegalese Foreign Affairs Minister. Members of his entourage, and not Mr. Diouf, were the ones who demanded an apology from Canadian authorities. Mr. Diouf was truly treated badly. I was told what happened.
Even if he was supposed to arrive in Montreal, what happened is unforgivable. Our airports, be it in Montreal or Toronto, are supposed to provide bilingual services. When we invite a dignitary of that calibre, we must ensure that he gets the treatment he deserves.
I assured the Senegalese Foreign Affairs Minister that this committee would do the right thing. I would have preferred that the motion ask the Prime Minister apologize. We know that it was a mistake. The Prime Minister and the minister responsible for official languages certainly did not plan to have Mr. Diouf subjected to such treatment upon his arrival. However, I cannot understand why no one has apologized to him. This is completely irresponsible. The Prime Minister should have done so in the House of Commons. It would have taken no more than three seconds. He has been asked on numerous occasions to do so, but he has refused each time. I am quite prepared to apologize as a member of the official languages committee, but I don't think that this is enough.
Mr. Diouf was President of Senegal for 17 or 19 years. He is respected throughout the world. Thanks to him, Senegal has become one of the most advanced countries in Africa. It is entirely unacceptable to have treated him this way.
Thank you.