There are very good examples of initiatives in the public service where people are in fact encouraged to use their second language. In our office, we have developed tools so that we can hold bilingual meetings. We provide training about it. Some departments, like Natural Resources, have prepared their own second-language courses based on the specialized lexicon they use. So there are initiatives.
Generally speaking, in surveys, when we ask public servants whether they feel comfortable if they write in the language of their choice, between 92% and 95% of anglophones say yes but, with francophones, it's only between 67% and 70%. That has not changed for 10 years.
I go back to what I was saying just now. Some complacency has taken hold. We have to find ways of addressing it. We can do so using Part V. We must make sure that we have language training. We have to provide tools and opportunities to use the second language.
We are currently working on a study on language insecurity in the public service, with both francophones and anglophones. It is at an exploratory stage. We are examining the results. It is interesting that anglophones want to have the opportunity to use French, just as francophones want the converse. So it is important to create situations that allow that.
However, for a number of years, less and less language training has been provided, which means that we do not have the tools we need. Work teams are virtual; the way of working is changing.
Clearly, if we want better service in both official languages, public servants must be able to work in the language of their choice.