Mr. Chair, I would like to extend greetings to the members of the committee and say that today I am replacing our colleague Ms. Boucher. I am here in passing, but it is a privilege for me to be here with you. I am pleased to be here also because I had the chance to sit on this committee for a few years. There is even a minister among us in the audience.
Mr. Chair, let me remind everyone of the important role of the Commissioner of Official Languages. I see him sort of as the steward of the Canadian francophonie. He is also a friend of the committee. I see that you are planning to invite him. He has sound knowledge of the issues and could certainly advise the members of the committee on how to prioritize the work. My recommendation would therefore be that the committee consult the commissioner so that he can discuss his report, of course, but also share his expertise and advice regarding the issues on which the members of the committee might want to focus their work.
Going back to your suggestion, I must say that, in the past, we sometimes carried out a longer-term study interspersed with ad hoc meetings, depending on the availability of the witnesses or the issues we were dealing with. You mentioned the role that Quebec City intends to play as part of the francophonie. That topic could definitely be of interest to the members of the committee and be addressed at ad hoc meetings. For instance, we had a somewhat more robust study on second language education, and we were able to incorporate more specific issues.
Let me reiterate that the Commissioner of Official Languages is truly a valuable resource. I think the Standing Committee on Official Languages is privileged to have access to the commissioner, his resources and his expertise to orient its work.
Thank you.