Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Gentlemen, I want to talk to you about a letter from a constituent that concerns the navy. In the work you're currently doing, or since the start of the plan, the land forces have been the first work place affected, and I assume the air force and navy will follow.
The person who wrote that letter told me this:
I belong to the Canadian navy and I must deplore an unacceptable situation that has been going on for too long and in which I do not see any will within the organization to solve the problem. On the military ships of the Government of Canada and on Canada's two naval bases, Esquimalt and Halifax, the only authorized language of work is English. Furthermore, the use of French among francophones is not tolerated, and speaking French therefore results in an administrative reprimand. The only example that has been successful in this kind of situation to date has been that of the army, which, to solve the problem, has formed an exclusively francophone contingent in which the recognized language of work is French and in which everything is done in French, from training to operations.
This is a recent letter, dated October 23 last. It contains a kind of complaint. This person was told to complain to the authorities. It's good that we have the letter as such. I wanted to tell you about it.
In what direction is action being taken in the case of the navy, for example, which I assume is starting to work on the plan that the army has already introduced?