Mr. Chair, I thank the member for the information he has given me, of which I had no prior knowledge . I would like to echo the member's comments with regard to the role played by Ombudsman Yves Côté. I read the statement he made before your committee last week. We spoke yesterday, and I congratulated him. I would also like to point out that we are working together to ensure there is no duplication of efforts, but rather a strengthening of our actions. That is something he indicated to the committee.
Last week, I met General Semianiw and I stressed the importance of leadership in this area. Far from undermining the importance of respecting our official languages, Canada's commitment in Afghanistan strengthens it. General Hillier has already said that the Canadian Forces had been sidelined for the past 20 years. Today, everyone is looking at the work done by the Canadian Forces, and that is increasing its importance.
In addition, the Royal 22nd Regiment's presence in Afghanistan has moved the issue of language duality and training to the forefront... We have begun to assess the training provided to our soldiers in the Canadian Forces.