Mr. Speaker, the member for Saskatoon—Humboldt has just introduced a bill to cut the delivery of services in French on the grounds that doing so is a waste of money.
In my opinion, this bill is a clear illustration of just how far the Canadian Alliance is out of touch with the concerns of Canadians living in a minority situation in one of Canada's regions.
There is the francophone community of Toronto and its cultural survival.
There are the French legal services currently being offered in Toronto and elsewhere in Ontario.
There is the work done by the Regroupement des jeunes filles francophones in my riding to provide social and medical services to young people in their language.
There are the needs of French speaking immigrants requiring services in their mother tongue in order to be able to contribute to their new country.
There is the issue of national unity. I must conclude that this bill flies in the face of what underlies our spirit of bilingualism in Canada, and I am surprised at the lack of understanding it represents.