I think she is headed in the right direction. We were pleased to see that a central agency, the Treasury Board, was appointed to coordinate the official languages policy, to ensure that it is implemented and that there is accountability. It is important to ensure that the proposed legislation looks at this horizontal role. It must be entrusted to one single government agency.
In terms of language of work, we look forward to seeing whether francophones outside Quebec will be able to work in their language in the regions where the communities are. That is what we hope to see.
The powers of the Commissioner of Official Languages must be strengthened even more. The commissioner must be given the power to impose monetary penalties.
Finally, with respect to part VII of the act, we must not just wait for regulations. Clear principles must be defined in the Official Languages Act. It is important to clearly define positive measures, consultation, what “by and for francophones” means, and how we will support this principle.
It is also important to define the objective of the new policy for francophone immigration. Is the objective to restore the demographic weight of francophones or to increase it? Is it an objective for outside Quebec or for the francophonie all across the country, including Quebec? These are some of our questions.