Mr. Speaker, once again, the government members are not answering the question. The court challenges program was eliminated. This violates the Official Languages Act. It was done in a cavalier manner. The Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women simply announced to the people who work in the court challenges program that the program had been cut and would come to an end. The evaluations of the program conducted in 1997 and 2003 were not even taken into account. The cut was based on ideology.
This file is damaging to French-language minority communities, just as it is damaging to anyone who believes the Constitution should protect the rights of vulnerable people in our society. Furthermore, the Commissioner of Official Languages and other key players in Quebec and Canadian society have demonstrated that this program has helped to strengthen the fight against assimilation. It is a very important tool for those communities.