Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
I want to thank all three of you for your remarks but, above all, for your passion. That struck me right from the outset.
You raised the issue of whether bilingualism was different from respect for the language. That was the first thing you said that struck a chord with me when I was listening to your comments.
I would say that, in Canada, we are forced to learn another language, English or French, if only because we can't access services in our own language. Bilingualism, then, becomes more instrumental than anything else. In other words, it's a way of seeking out services that should actually be available in both official languages across the country. I find that reality a bit troubling. Personally, I feel as though I am in an immersion environment right now.
I was born in Quebec and am proud of my language. I am a French-speaking Quebec-born Canadian in North America, and I wear that label with the utmost pride. I try to convey that message no matter where I am in the parliamentary precinct. It can be difficult to access services in our language. On other committees, I have heard numerous witnesses—deputy ministers and senior officials—who did not speak a word of French. To me, that is unacceptable. As I said, I see my experience in Parliament as an immersion class. I thought I was bilingual before I got here, but that wasn't entirely the case.
I also want to tell you about my daughter's experience; she is now 18. In Grade 6, when she was 12, she started taking an immersion program, half the year in French and the other half in English. Today, she doesn't even have an accent and is perfectly fluent in both languages. So I have no doubt about the value of immersion. It is tremendously valuable. I spoke English well before. I was good enough to carry on a conversation with someone, but I have learned a lot of new English words, especially here, in Parliament.
When we're focusing on bilingualism in Canada, we should have access to services in our own language, all over the country. The Eastern Townships have a large English-speaking population, and sometimes it's impossible to find French-language services. I'd like to hear your thoughts on that.