Thank you, Mr. Chair.
For the same reasons I listed last week regarding another of Mr. Choquette's motions, I think we are trying to use the back door to do something we cannot do by going through the front door. However, Mr. Choquette agreed with me that we should not be involved in the process.
The process includes a language test. I personally did not follow the debates that took place yesterday because I was in committee. Ms. Boucher just informed us that Ms. Meilleur stated that she did very well on the language test. Nothing tells me that the other 71 candidates were not told the same thing.
Trying to get into that is getting involved in the nomination process. A committee has already examined Ms. Meilleur's candidacy, as well as that of the 71 other candidates. A committee already administered language tests to all of the candidates. We are now asking the Standing Committee on Official Languages to get involved in the process once again.
Subsection 49(1) of the Official Languages Act is clear:
The Governor in Council shall, by commission under the Great Seal, appoint a Commissioner of Official Languages for Canada after consultation with the leader of every recognized party in the Senate and House of Commons and approval of the appointment by resolution of the Senate and House of Commons.