Mr. Speaker, Canada is a progressive, open, fair and good country at its core. What has far too often been described by some as the two solitudes can also be the two solicitudes.
That was Jack Layton's vision, and I share that vision.
I strongly believe that this feeling is shared across Canada: that all things considered we have more in common than we have things that separate us.
Jack's motto is a strong Canadian motto: Travaillons ensemble!
And the French language, the first European language of this country, is an integral part of what defines us.
I introduced Bill C-419 to require officers of Parliament to be bilingual. These women and men are the ultimate resources in the machinery of government and, as such, they should be able to understand both complementary parts of this Confederation.
I hope that we can count on the support of the government, but especially on that of the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages and all members from Quebec, who will be able to show their love of bilingualism and their support for the progressive values that make our Confederation the envy of the world.