Mr. Chair, the spirit of my colleague's motion is legitimate, in my opinion. However, I think he's on the wrong track. I think he's aiming at the wrong target. In my opinion, the person who holds the position of Governor General should not be targeted by this question and this blunder by the current government.
I think we need to look at the appointment process. My colleague talks about intention, will, and I agree with him on that. A lot of people were ready to take on this position. However, we have to put ourselves in the shoes of the person who was appointed.
If you are appointed Governor General of Canada, you will certainly be grateful and commit to learning Canada's second official language, in this case French, to hold this position of representation. The Governor General, who holds the highest office in Canada, obviously has an obligation to speak both of Canada's official languages. It was entirely legitimate for her to react by saying that she was going to learn French. I would have done exactly the same thing.