It never ceases to amaze me, especially at the end of a day like this one, after having worked hard, to find myself immersed in something out of a surrealist and absurdist play by Ionesco. This is shameful, especially towards our predecessors who implemented the Official Languages Act and created this committee under the said act.
Why did they create the Standing Committee on Official Languages? Because they knew quite well that ministers and other governmental institutions would neglect this issue in the future. They wanted to ensure it would remain central. That is why.
Today, the Standing Committee on Official Languages is invited to study the official languages commissioner's recommendations, made following his review of access to justice in both languages. This goes to the very heart of our mandate, of the work we do. Yet, we are told that this is none of our business and there seems to be no interest in inviting the minister responsible. From my perspective, this is absurd, it's ridiculous, and it is shameful towards those who have worked arduously to implement this act in Canada.
We cannot ignore the fact that the act mainly protects francophone minorities. We are central to this issue. We are witnessing a decline of bilingualism and services offered to francophones. Francophone minorities across Canada are forced to turn to the courts in order to obtain services. In British Columbia, they are lacking 15 schools. Francophones have to sue the government to obtain their schools.
Here, we are supposed to ensure the equality of both official languages. And yet, we are being told this is not the place to discuss the official languages commissioner's recommendations. There is no conclusion to be drawn here. This is simply bad faith.
This time, however, you will not get away with it. People will see what you are doing and tell themselves it makes no sense, that everything is upside down, and they will want to put it right.
