Thank you, Mr. Lefebvre.
Mr. Rovinescu, I listened to what you said. You clearly said that you felt frustrated and I sensed your frustration. However, I would like to tell you about a situation. This is not about castigating anyone. We must not dwell on the past, but rather see how we can solve the problem. I want you to know that there is a clear desire for acts of Parliament to be complied with, whether it is Parliament deciding on the legislation, the government deciding on the content of its regulations and all the organizations complying with them, be they in the private sector or not, or even business organizations. Discussions can take place at the outset, but once the decisions are made, we would like people to comply. That's important.
You indicated that 17% of Canadians are bilingual. You will understand that this makes us react and concerns us. Clearly, there is an idea behind that, and I see it in the brief submitted to us. We feel that you see this obligation as a burden. I also understand that an obligation is a burden. However, there is something you can control. As the president, are you prepared to issue a directive? I am referring to the Linguistic Action Plan. I will read it to you and you can trust me:
Collective agreements Measure 13: Upon renewal of the various employment contracts, discuss ways for the Company to improve official language compliance with unions.
This refers to our act. You will discuss ways to comply with our legislation with the unions. That will definitely prompt a reaction.
You know that the Official Languages Act is in the public domain. It supersedes any contracts, including collective agreements.
My question is very specific: are you ready to commit to issuing directives to your departments to ensure that contracts comply with the collective agreement? You don't need negotiations because these are public laws. Are you ready to issue this directive to your departments?