Thank you, Mr. Chair.
In my Parliament Hill office, I have a picture that shows my godfather, Maurice Nadeau, who was a member of the navy; his brother, Georges Nadeau, my uncle, who was a member of the airforce; and Benoit Nadeau, my father, who was a member of the army. All three fought during the Second World War. As for my uncle Fernand, he took part in the Korean War. All that to say that my mother, who was an excellent seamstress, would make clothes out of my father's military dress. I wore those clothes until the age of twelve and three-quarters.
I have always been interested in things military. That is probably why, at one point, I became an historian. I was literally fascinated by the Second World War. Still today, when I go to the Pointe-Gatineau Branch 58 of the Royal Canadian Legion and give a speech, I have something new to contribute to the combatants, whether they are veterans of the Second World War, Blue Helmets or soldiers who took part in peacekeeping operations. One of the members I met is Larry George. His father took part in the famous battle of Vimy Ridge. This shows how much I appreciate the armed forces.
There was a time when my father often would say that he spent more time battling the anglophones in Canada than the enemy during the war, because anglophones did not respect him. Conservative MP Mr. Hiebert was present when Mr. O'Connor gave a presentation, when he was Minister of National Defence. Given the lack of respect for francophones in the army, I must admit that I wanted to tell these people that I was extremely skeptical. Even if, after so many years, the Department of National Defence has established a program to assist francophone soldiers to feel at home in the Canadian Forces, I remain extremely skeptical.
Mr. Meloche and I have already met, but this is my first meeting with Mr. Smith. I am aware of the work and efforts put in by the Canadian Forces. There is a lot to be done. There have been many delays in this area. The issue of respect for the French fact dates back to the Crimean War. That was a long time ago, predating the First World War.
I would like to quote from an article that appeared in the June 3, 2010 issue of Le Devoir. That was not too long ago in the greater scheme of things. In the article, which deals with one of Graham Fraser's reports, the following is said about the navy:
The Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages, in Ottawa, did not conduct a study on the navy per se but did examine the issue of language of instruction for professional trades in the Canadian Forces. Already at the initial learning stage, English is excessively dominant, particularly in the navy. The report by commissioner Graham Fraser, which was tabled yesterday, mentions the discomfort felt by recruits.
I will submit a copy of the article once I am done. I would also like to quote the following statements by francophone soldiers:
"When I studied in English, my grades were not as good. That almost gave me an inferiority complex,” it states. Or : "I pursued my training in my second official language because I had no choice, people in the navy speak English.”
The article also states the following:
The officers explained to the investigators that the students had to learn in English because of the conventions of the International Maritime Organization, which standardized the external maritime communications on board ships. It would therefore be safer to learn everything in English.
In his report, Mr. Fraser replied that was completely false, and the article quotes his comments on the subject:
"[...] But we do not believe the same applies when students learn theory and basic notions in these fields.” He goes on to state: "[...] Learning in one's mother tongue, enhanced with an English technical vocabulary where necessary, would ensure that francophones are not disadvantaged in their learning.”
Learning technical terms in English is one thing, but the real problem is when people cannot study in French. That example concerned the navy.
Can you tell me what you're doing in that regard and how things are progressing? When Mr. Semianiw appeared, I gave a concrete example. I am all ears.