This is about government services or, at least, services that report to the federal government. Whoever has a business or is established at the airport must comply with the Official Languages Act; that is to say they must offer services in English and in French. That aspect should also be examined with regard to businesses. I sometimes do business with the Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport, and I see it definitely isn't setting an example in that regard.
As regards the federal public service, we're talking about renewal and recruitment. Given the new demographics and the number of people retiring, new employee cohorts will become established. That will require changes.
Don't you believe we should favour people who are already bilingual rather than ask employees to take courses every five years? We know the old refrain. People's contracts are often renewed for another five-year period to enable them to learn French. They ultimately arrive at the end of their career and still haven't learned much French. In so doing, they haven't been able to offer service in French or to work in French with their colleagues for whom French is their first language and who have a right to work in French.
Don't you believe that adequate knowledge of English and French should be an important criterion in reviewing applicants? In the same way as a physician must know medicine before being allowed to practise, shouldn't a public servant or an employee of an agency or Crown corporation automatically have to be bilingual?