Mr. Speaker, I disagree. The government's arguments are neither justified nor justifiable.
Francophone communities and francophones in North America make up just 2% of the population on this continent. We have to recognize that if these minorities want to survive, if they want to pass down their linguistic heritage and baggage to succeeding generations, they need the means to do so. That applies to the Official Languages Act, which protects francophones, and it applies to the legal means that we have to make available to francophones so they can defend themselves properly.
The government's explanations are therefore unacceptable.