Mr. Speaker, yesterday the National Arts Centre, that major symbol of Canadian biculturalism, tabled an English-only document before the heritage committee.
Yet there has been a stipulation in the Official Languages Act for 30 years now that French and English are the languages of work in the National Capital Region.
Once again, the Liberal government is incapable of enforcing the act right in its own backyard, and there is no denying that the lack of political will of the federal government is directly responsible for the 24% assimilation rate of the Eastern Ontario francophone community.
There is nothing surprising about the fact that crown corporations are thumbing their noses at the Official Languages Act, when even the PMO does the same, as the appointments to the Copyright Board prove.
The francophone ministers, including the President of Treasury Board and the Prime Minister himself, do not seem to be much burdened by this disgraceful non-compliance with the Official Languages Act, as they shamelessly hide their inaction behind empty speeches about the francophonie.