Mr. Chair, this exclusion isn't just a statistic.
Every year, 700 talented young people from the greater Toronto area cannot aspire to become Supreme Court justices, governors general or thought leaders in Canadian society. Denying them these opportunities limits their individual potential.
As a French immersion graduate myself, I firmly believe in its value. It was through this gift that I was able to access other enriching opportunities that wouldn't have been available if I hadn't spoken both official languages. Limiting access to the possibility of becoming bilingual also creates barriers to integration in all spheres of Canadian society. This makes our institutions unrepresentative of Canadian diversity and feeds the discourse of the two solitudes.
We'll now let you ask us questions so that we can continue.