Mr. Speaker, tomorrow, March 20, we will celebrate the International Day of La Francophonie. This will be an opportunity to celebrate the tremendous contribution made by francophone and francophile communities in Canada and around the world.
I rise today, one day early, because I would like to invite all parties in the House to join our initiative. All NDP members will speak only in French during question period tomorrow. We encourage members of the other political parties to do the same. This will be more than symbolic; it will demonstrate our commitment to the francophonie. We will prove that all public policy issues can be discussed and resolved in French. To quote Yves Duteuil:
It is a beautiful language with splendid words
whose history can be traced in its variations...
It is a beautiful language to those who know how to defend it
It offers treasures of untold richness
The words we lacked to be able to understand one another
And the strength required to live in harmony
I am reaching out to all parliamentarians: tomorrow, let's speak French.