I understand what you are saying, Mr. Newman. Yet if we are here today considering a bill to modernize the Official Languages Act, it is precisely because we relied on the principle of good governance in the past. I am not accusing anyone, but the facts are clear: we are witnessing the continuing decline of French.
In the past, a number of departments did not do their job and no one was able to hold them to account or require them to achieve results. That is why we want to a single body that can require every department and every federal institution to uphold the Official Languages Act. From my understanding, there are three possibilities: Privy Council, Finance or Treasury Board. Those are the only three bodies that can require results from all departments and stand watch to ensure they do their job.
I understand the principle you mentioned, but it doesn't work. That is why we are here today. It is not what you are saying that doesn't work; rather, history has shown us that it hasn't worked.
It is because it hasn't worked in the past that we want to give the act more teeth, as the Minister of Official Languages said.
Let me ask you, Mr. Newman, what tool can require ministers and the prime minister to achieve results?