Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise on debate in response to the Speech from the Throne. I would like to echo the words of the member for Vancouver Kingsway and the member for Waterloo—Wellington who congratulated the Governor General on her appointment and on the Speech from the Throne.
The Governor General's words were particularly welcome to those of us in Toronto Centre—Rosedale because the Governor General and her husband John Ralston Saul live in Toronto Centre—Rosedale. We are all very proud to see her installed as our new Governor General. We are proud of what she represents to this country, looking forward into the future of the 21st century, representing what is the best of Canadians and Canadian developments in the 20th century.
They also represent Toronto's bicultural dimension and its bilingualism, anglophones who speak French and who have incorporated our country's French element into their culture and into Toronto's multiculturalism.
Toronto Centre—Rosedale is an extremely diverse riding in the middle of downtown Toronto. St. James town has 20,000 people living in it. Fifty-seven different languages are spoken there. Those languages are spoken by people who live and work here in Canada together because we have established a country which has as its base a certain notion of tolerance and a willingness to work together. We have certain Canadian values that make that work.