Of course, I have followed the committee's discussions on this issue, including the testimony of Professor Grammond, who is an expert on constitutional law. I heard his answer that it did not seem to be a problem. He suggested that the government ask the Supreme Court of Canada directly, which is an excellent suggestion. I agree with Mr. Grammond.
The other way to ensure that Supreme Court judges are bilingual is to remove the exception under section 16 of the Official Languages ??Act. This option could be faster and more effective.
I was very pleased with the government's announcement of the new process for Supreme Court judges; I'm all in favour of it. I believe that Canadians should be able to be heard and understood in their language before the highest court in Canada without the need for the judges to have an interpreter.
It is understood that I continue to support Bill C-208.