Mr. Speaker, last Saturday marked the 10th anniversary of Bill 2 in Saskatchewan, an act abolishing French as an official language. Representatives of Franco-Saskatchewanians, who are 20,000 strong, but only 6,000 of whom still speak French at home, came to Ottawa looking for help.
However, the heritage minister refused to meet with them. She claimed the president of the Fédération des francophones de Saskatoon, Richard Nadeau, is a friend of the Bloc Quebecois. Again, according to her, the people protesting against the Liberals' UI reform were separatists masquerading as unemployed workers. In fact, in the opinion of the heritage minister, you either belong to the Liberal Party and wrap yourself in the flag or you are nothing but a separatist.
The heritage minister is trying to discredit a representative of the francophone community in Saskatchewan so as to downplay the urgency of this community's situation.
Francophones outside Quebec are only of interest to her when she can use them as weapons against Quebec sovereignists. Respecting their rights is secondary.