I find it a bit uncomfortable that the official languages committee is being used to advance demagogic arguments. Canada's linguistic duality is essential to the country's very survival. There are a lot of ways to do that and not to do it, such as engaging in political polarization when we should be working together. Since this question is repeatedly raised at every meeting, I would like to take the few minutes allotted me to emphasize that I was one of the members most disappointed by the appointment of an auditor general who is not bilingual.
When that appointment was made, I mounted the barricades to inquire about the mistake that had been made. Here's the question that I asked: do you want me to believe that there isn't an auditor anywhere in the country who is as qualified as the one we've hired, who isn't also bilingual? The answer I received is as follows: there are auditors in the country who are probably as qualified as the one hired, but they did not apply for the job. There was one in the running until the last minute, and then he withdrew his application. When you hire someone, you don't choose from among the most qualified candidates, but from among the most qualified who apply for the position. That's not something that's pleasant to hear, but we always have to hear it.
I spent six years on the board of directors of the Ottawa Public Library.