Mr. Speaker, I will begin by thanking my colleague from Acadie--Bathurst, who always defends with such passion the interests of fellow citizens in his entire region. Sometimes the causes he defends are even national in stature. I congratulate him for all the interest he has shown in important issues.
As far as the application of the Official Languages Act is concerned, I believe the hon. member is clearly differentiating this. It is obvious that full application of the Official Languages Act applies to the national airport system.
Application of the Official Languages Act therefore covers 95% or 96% of all Canadian air traffic. This does not necessarily solve the problem of the portion of the issue the hon. member has focused on: defending the value of respecting official languages. Even if we do not have complete jurisdiction over privately managed airports, I still want to point out to the hon. member that a review of the Canada Airports Act is under way. It will maintain application of the Official Languages Act in all of the national airport system.
With regard to airports that are not covered by the national airport system concept, it is important to point out that they are governed by the market. I fully realize that this is not enough. Measures are required, not necessarily coercive measures, but significant incentives.
While this may cover 1.5% or 2% of the overall traffic, I do not know if there is a particular problem at the Bathurst airport as I do not have a detailed knowledge of all regional airports, or even national airports, but all the measures taken and the report of the Commissioner of Official Languages also bear fruit. Through the measures that were put in place, managers developed an awareness of and a respect for official languages. Even if the Official Languages Act cannot be fully implemented in these sectors, the measures include an increased awareness by airport operators of the requirements in that regard.
Improving the government's monitoring efforts is also important.
Let me also say that the appointment of the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs to deal with the issue of official languages will be a major asset in achieving the anticipated success in the future.
I think that the introduction of a protocol to codify the process for handling official languages complaints is an interesting guarantee, not necessarily a guarantee of perfection but an interesting guarantee for the attainment of an objective that is very important not just to the member for Acadie--Bathurst but for all members of the House, particularly the French-Canadian members who have an interest in seeing their language fully respected in all Canadian airports.
I repeat that there is full respect in national airports throughout the national system. Additional measures to ensure respect for both official languages throughout the system are, I believe, beginning to bear fruit and are in fact bearing fruit.
Transport Canada is working with the Minister of Transport and all stakeholders. I think we can be optimistic that the results will be interesting, but we are not there yet.
I wish to thank the member for his diligence on this issue. I think it is my role, as parliamentary secretary, but also as a French-Canadian, to defend interests having to do with the respect of the official languages, even in those sectors where full respect is not automatic.