Madam Speaker, it goes without saying that official languages are at the heart of who we are as a country and that respect for our official languages is vitally important to our government, including in times of crisis.
Our commitments aim to deliver federal services in accordance with official languages obligations, as well as to create and maintain a work environment that is conducive to the use of English and French.
Our government's commitment to official languages could not be clearer, as evidenced in the most recent throne speech. We are working as quickly as possible to find appropriate solutions to any shortcomings that have been identified.
For example, I would like to remind my colleague across the way that in the early hours of this pandemic when we saw some gaps, such as in the labelling of certain essential products, our government made sure that crucial information was available to Canadians in the official language of their choice. The Commissioner of Official Languages did acknowledge that.
One thing is clear: The COVID-19 crisis exposed a number of challenges we need to overcome, especially when it comes to communications with and services to the public. The federal public service adapted, and practices evolved very rapidly.
Innovative practices were introduced, and we expect them to remain in place and have a more permanent influence on how the public service does things. These include decentralized work organization, new communication needs, the use of digital collaboration platforms, and so on.
As the way we work changes dramatically, respect for official languages is not just the Government of Canada's obligation; it is a priority on which hinges the effectiveness of our pandemic response.
As our government pursues its commitment to modernizing the Official Languages Act, we will need to consider these evolving dynamics in order for the act to remain relevant.
I commend my colleague from Mégantic—L'Érable, and I want to assure him and all members of the House that we will keep working closely with the Commissioner of Official Languages and his officials to protect the language rights of Canadians and public servants in this unprecedented time.
We believe Canadians are proud to know that they have the right to learn and speak their official language and to make it a part of their identity. The same goes for the public service. As Canadians and as Acadians, we also recognize that French and English are at the very core of our identity and that they are tools we can use to build bridges between us all.
Our government and public servants are taking proactive measures to ensure respect of our two official languages. We react quickly and firmly to compliance issues and remind federal institutions of their official languages obligations.
Our government took note of the report of the Commissioner of Official Languages and will look at it with great interest.