Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I appreciate the fact that you took the time to hold the meeting this evening. I think that this will help settle the matter so that we can continue our work at our next meeting on Thursday.
First, I would like to say that today is Victoria Day, National Patriots' Day, Dollard's Day or World Bee Day. I hope that anyone tuning in to our proceedings or attending in this room can choose whichever day they want and that they won't be called “full of hogwash” even if it conflicts with the choice of the member for Glengarry—Prescott—Russell.
The letter sent out last Friday is signed by the four Conservative members of the committee, together with the Bloc Québécois member. I think that it shows the opposition's commitment to wrapping up this issue so that we can move on and take care of what really matters to francophones.
Since May 6, the Liberals have been pulling out the big guns. Just look at the number of Liberal members now registered to attend the special session of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie next Thursday. Here's how I see it. For the Liberals, a friend is a friend. I think that the public should be warned that they will do anything to save private Drouin. I think that this shows a lack of respect for the institution and for this committee.
I think that we should have the opportunity to call the member to order and that our committee should clearly ask for a ruling on the member's legitimacy. Until May 6, I thought that he was a respectable person. However, what happened on May 6 changed our perception of him as a member of the committee. That's why I'm saying that he lost the legitimacy to sit here on the Standing Committee on Official Languages. That's why the four of us from the Conservative Party and the member from the Bloc Québécois sent a letter, pursuant to Standing Order 106(4), asking you to call this meeting.
It should be noted that we already raised this issue before. You ended the meeting quickly, Mr. Chair. You have your interpretation and we have a different one, Mr. Chair. However, I respect your decision. I have always respected your role as chair. We must respect the institution. We must respect this committee. I think that Mr. Drouin should obviously no longer sit on the Standing Committee on Official Languages.
We're here until 9 p.m. We must have the opportunity to vote on this. I'll stop for now and see what happens at this committee meeting. I hope that the Liberals won't filibuster and that we'll wrap this up so that we can get on with real business starting next Thursday.