Debates of Nov. 25th, 2020

Status of the French Language in Montreal

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I would remind all members that they must not point out the presence or absence of other members in the House. That rule applies to all members in the House.

The hon. member for Jonquière on a point of order.

[Mario Simard, Bloc, Jonquière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I just said that there was a strong NDP presence here today. I wanted to point that out.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

That warning is for everyone. I am not singling anyone out. I know that people can get excited and forget the rules.

Resuming debate. The hon. Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages.

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages]

Mr. Speaker, I know you to be an admirable colleague and an ally of official languages and francophones, especially in Ontario. I am pleased to make a few comments to you today on the topic of official languages.

It is a privilege for me to speak this evening to a topic that combines my two great loves: the French language and the City of Montreal, my language and my city. Both need our attention and some serious help.

Montreal has been hard hit by the COVID-19 crisis, which has emptied all the high-rises downtown and brought many of our businesses to the brink. Montreal, which had excellent momentum before the pandemic, is now a shadow of its former self, according to some observers. However, I know that with love and attention it will rebound.

Then there is the status of the French language in our Quebec metropolis, which everyone is talking about lately, and rightly so. The issue of the French language in Quebec and in Montreal is fundamental, and we have to do everything we can to protect it.

I come from the Joly branch of the family with roots in Saint-Canut and the Racine branch from Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines. I can trace 13 generations of francophones in Quebec. I still tease my mom when she sometimes tries to use her English. As a teacher, my mother, Laurette, did everything she could to pass on to us, her three children, her love of French.

We had big families where I come from. We would get together regularly, and during the holidays, we would always watch Bye Bye on French CBC. About 40 of us would crowd around the television. Christmas and New Year's Eve celebrations were always fun. All my life and to this day, I laugh, I cry and I love in French. I learn and I work in French. I live every day in French with Félix, whose grandmother, Gabrielle, fled Germany during the Second World War.

As Quebeckers and Canadians, we must constantly remind ourselves that we are francophones in America, having come from around the globe, a linguistic minority in an immense space, and we are therefore in a situation of survival. We must always do more and go a little further than what is expected of us.

Our government recognizes that and offered a historic recognition in the Speech from the Throne last September. We recognize that we have a responsibility to protect and promote French, not only outside Quebec, but also within its borders.

It is with that objective in mind that we will modernize and strengthen our Official Languages Act, and we will do it properly because it is too important for our country and our identity. This means that we must have the courage of our ambitions, ask tough questions and draw the necessary conclusions, such as the decline of the French language.

It also means that all of us here are duty bound to work together, not against each other, to strengthen our French language in Quebec and in Canada. Language-related anxiety is very real among Canadians and we have to take appropriate measures.

I am extremely concerned by the data that shows a decline in the use of French in Montreal. Obviously, people should have access to services in French in their day-to-day lives. As a francophone, I want to be able to go to a coffee shop and be served in French. I want to make sure that my children will grow up and get a good education in French in my own city.

Passing on one's language is integral to our identity, our roots. Every parent would say how important it is. It is visceral. It is an issue that touches us deeply at the very core of our being and, as a Montrealer, proud member of Parliament for Ahuntsic-Cartierville and Minister of Official Languages, I want to tell people that I hear them and I understand them.

We will work together to ensure that Montreal remains Quebec's crown jewel of the French language for the generations to come. All levels of government need to participate, and we must all work together.

Let us be clear: The common language in Quebec is French. Any work to strengthen one person's rights must not come at the expense of another's.

The city of Montreal is woven together by diverse cultures and steeped in the history of the francophone and anglophone communities that have been coexisting, intermingling and working together to build a future for generations. Has it always been that simple? No, it has not, but this intricacy, this mosaic, makes the city stronger and fuels creativity. French has flourished for years and continues to do so, thanks to the existing laws and strong institutions.

Today, the conclusion is rather simple. We must do more. Times have changed, and society has as well. I urge those elected officials who are tempted to turn official languages into a political issue to take a step back. We can all work together to strengthen the French language in Montreal and ensure that everyone's rights, including those of the anglophone minority, are respected.

I hope we can rise above partisanship in this debate, above the notion of “Montreal versus everyone else”, above the divisions that are so easy to create. When Montreal is doing well, all of Quebec does well and breathes a little easier, and so does the entire country.

As we deal with the COVID-19 crisis, which is, let's face it, already extremely stressful, now is not the time to exacerbate tensions. Rather, we need to defuse them. This is the time to be conciliatory. We owe it to our fellow citizens. I know that I have valued allies among my francophone and anglophone colleagues. Regardless of our origins, this is a subject that motivates us and brings us together. Our language is beautiful; we must take care of it and we must be proud of it.

Let us work together as members in this House, with all governments and citizens, so that Montreal, a francophone city, a city of students, a Quebec metropolis, remains the crown jewel of La Francophonie in the Americas and keeps inspiring the entire world. We all have a responsibility to do so.

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I very much appreciated the comments from the minister responsible for official languages in Canada, comments that were even lyrical at times, for example when she talked about the flagship of the Francophonie in the Americas. My goodness, that is inspiring and I congratulate her.

Now, the reality is that the Liberal government has been in power for five years. The Official Languages Act was passed 51 years ago. It was updated under the Conservative government in 1988. The Liberals said they were going to update it and go through it with a fine-toothed comb to modernize it five years ago. Five years later, we find out we might get a white paper.

Does the minister realize that a white paper is just passing the buck? The government committed to modernizing the Official Languages Act. Modernizing the Official Languages Act means modernizing the act, not tabling a white paper.

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Ahuntsic-Cartierville, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his compliments. I am happy to talk about my love of the language and even about other very well-known Montreal poets, if he likes, since we are speaking of flagships and golden ships.

All this to say that I understand that we need to take action. Our government has recognized the importance of taking action. We have done so for the past five years, by bringing out a historic plan for official languages, saving CBC/Radio-Canada, doubling the budget of the Canada Council for the Arts, and providing funding for the French-language military college in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, which had stopped granting university degrees and educating our soldiers in French. We also restored French-language services and were able to reinstate the court challenges program.

We did so much that, while we were doing all that work, we said that we absolutely had to go back to the beginning, to the legacy of Pierre Elliott Trudeau, who introduced new official languages legislation in 1969, after the Laurendeau-Dunton commission.

Today, society has changed and reform is necessary. That is why we are moving ahead with this reform.

[Mario Beaulieu, Bloc, La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC]

Mr. Speaker, first, when we talk about Pierre Elliott Trudeau’s legacy, we need to be careful.

He was very contemptuous of Bill 101 and said that it was pushing us backwards. Then he brought in the Official Languages Act at a time when francophones were suffering significant economic discrimination and when French was very much in retreat. When it comes to official languages programs, all the money goes exclusively to supporting English.

Second, the principle behind the Official Languages Act runs counter to Bill 101, which is based on a model focused more on collective and territorial rights, meaning that, in a given territory, there needs to be a common language in order to integrate newcomers. In contrast, the Official Languages Act model promotes institutional bilingualism and sends newcomers the message that they can adopt the language of their choice.

Quebec is still part of Canada, unfortunately, and we are part of that minority that was recognized for the first time in the Speech from the Throne. Given this reality, there is a natural tendency for newcomers to choose English. The problem is that newcomers are not being integrated enough. It is the very foundation of the Official Languages Act that runs counter to Bill 101.

I would like to hear my colleague’s thoughts on that.

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Ahuntsic-Cartierville, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for pointing out that this is the first time in 43 Parliaments that a federal government has recognized that French is a minority language.

However, one very important fact must be made clear, namely that the Government of Canada is the Government of Quebec's main partner in French integration for immigrants. It is a mistake to say that the Government of Canada only supports English in Quebec. In reality, under the Canada-Quebec accord on immigration, the Government of Canada transfers a large amount of money to the Government of Quebec, which then uses it to teach newcomers French. That makes us a partner and an ally.

It goes without saying that immigrants in Quebec must have opportunities to speak the language. That is why we have this agreement, which has been in place since 1988. That is also why I have had several discussions on these issues with Quebec's immigration minister and the minister responsible for the French language. We must always do more, and it is a challenge to integrate immigrants in French not only in Quebec, but also in the rest of the country.

We know that the issue of francophone immigration is important, as is the demographic weight of francophones. This is why, as minister, I had the opportunity to announce for the first time a francophone minority immigration strategy. One million francophones outside Quebec fight every day to speak French. It is a choice to speak French when you are in a minority.

Our government must therefore be there to support strong institutions, so that these people are able to speak their language, in Ontario or elsewhere, and so that an entire community can maintain its wonderful vitality. The arrival of newcomers who join these minority communities will help achieve this goal. This is why francophone minority immigration is important.

I simply wanted to correct my colleague with kindness and much respect. This was just one example. I could give him another one, involving support for arts and culture and for broadcasting. No one here thinks that Radio-Canada is not important to Quebec. It is one of the largest federal institutions, and we reinvested $675 million in it.

[Mario Beaulieu, Bloc, La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I clearly stated that the official languages program was aimed entirely at the anglophone side. The hon. member said I was mistaken, but she responded by talking about the arts and all kinds of things other than official languages.

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Ahuntsic-Cartierville, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague has just made my point. The Official Languages Act is one thing. The government’s language policy is another. In Canada, institutional bilingualism does in fact come from the Official Languages Act, but also from a whole series of measures, decisions and agreements.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I will have to stop the minister there.

I see that a lot of members want to ask questions. I would therefore like to remind members to keep their questions, as well as their responses, fairly short, out of respect for those who wish to speak, so that everyone gets a chance.

The hon. member for New Westminster—Burnaby.

[Peter Julian, NDP, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I am 5,000 kilometres from Montreal tonight, addressing the House from the city of New Westminster, a few blocks from the first school in a vast francophone educational network that extends all over British Columbia.

I appreciated the speech by my colleague, and I have two questions for her, to which we would like clear answers.

First, does she agree that Bill 101 should apply to federally regulated businesses in Quebec? I ask this because these businesses still do not guarantee their employees the right to work in French.

Second, does she agree that the Official Languages Act must be strengthened to give people the right to receive services in French across Canada, including in British Columbia?

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Ahuntsic-Cartierville, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I want to tell my colleague that it is always inspiring to hear him speak French, since he speaks it so very well. I have a lot of respect for him, and I am pleased to be able to count him as an ally.

I heard his first question on Bill 101. I am already in contact with my provincial counterpart, Simon Jolin-Barrette, the minister responsible for this file. He is working on his own reform, and we are waiting for more information. I am naturally looking forward to his response, but we are continuing to work together.

As for my colleague's second question about strengthening the Official Languages Act, the objective is, of course, for anyone to have access to high-quality services in French in British Columbia, for example. That is exactly the objective of strengthening the act. I would be happy to share more information with him in the coming weeks.

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lévis—Lotbinière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege to participate in this debate, especially this week because the eldest of my five children, Amélie, just gave birth to my fifth grandchild, my second grandson, my little Arthur. There is bound to be a tear in my eye, proof that people soften with age.

I came here in 2006 as a unilingual francophone parliamentarian. I was born in a little village called Saint-Narcisse-de-Beaurivage. I am proud of my roots, my language, and the unique aspects of my francophone culture.

I want to say how touching it is to hear our children and grandchildren say their first French words and write their name so proudly for the first time. Moments like those and many more are priceless as we watch our little ones go to school and learn to speak and write French. Being born into a French-speaking environment and being able to live in French is a precious inheritance and the basis of a culture that makes us unique, expressive and undeniably warm-hearted thanks to our rich vocabulary and the variety of words with which we can express our feelings and emotions so incredibly precisely.

I am also very thankful to my late mother, Rita Boissonneault, who shared her love and knowledge with me throughout my childhood. The term “mother tongue” is very apt, as our first language generally comes from our mother or whoever acts in that role for us. I would like to take this opportunity to recognize the exceptional work that mothers do for their children and, in turn, for our francophone community.

I want to tell members what is really on my mind. I believe that Quebeckers and Canadians did not realize all of the risks involved in electing this Liberal government that was full of promises but that has led us down so many dead-end roads. We are learning the hard way. The protection of French and official languages is no exception. Today, we are afraid and, unfortunately, the Liberals know that people do not realize how bad a situation has become until that delicate balance is jeopardized or, worse, put to the test. Sometimes it is because we are naive or because we are dealing with many different concerns that we do not realize that we are on the brink of disaster and how important it is to protect our roots.

Right now, one inevitable fact remains: we must take action. As a person who only speaks French, it was a privilege for me to be a member of the Standing Committee on Official Languages when our country was skilfully led by a Conservative government, with a Prime Minister worthy of that title who was always committed to beginning his speeches in French.

It was not out of opportunism, unlike what our colleagues from the Bloc are doing. They are having fun right now trying to make us believe they have good intentions. I would remind the House that our government was the first to recognize the Quebec nation within a united Canada. I am still proud of that today.

To simply declare tonight that French is in decline would of course be pointless. What we need are strategies and an action plan combining all our efforts to implement the new Roadmap for Canada's Official Languages and to get results. Clearly, the government is doing nothing to fix this situation. It is just making lots of errors of judgment and action, preventing it from taking the correct path to protect French.

This brings WE Charity to mind. Not only was it a corruption scandal involving an untendered contract, but it was awarded to a unilingual anglophone organization, thus excluding francophone companies. I am also thinking of the text messages sent in English only for the COVID Alert app. Finally, I am thinking of unilingual English labelling of products to fight the pandemic, to name just a few. The Liberals have yet to come up with a timeline for modernizing the Official Languages Act.

On August 26, the Government of Quebec and the minister responsible for the French language, Simon Jolin-Barrette, announced their plans to take action to strengthen the position of French in Quebec, stating that they wanted Bill 101 to apply to federally regulated businesses operating in Quebec, such as banks and VIA Rail. It is perfectly legitimate for the Quebec government to want to protect its language and culture.

In addition, the Commissioner of Official Languages, Raymond Théberge, released his annual report on September 29. It contains three recommendations, including a recommendation to modernize the Official Languages Act and a recommendation to go beyond the action plan for official languages 2018-23.

He recommended that we invest in our future, in the promotion of the country's linguistic duality.

Finally, the commissioner also stated that the obvious lack of bilingual services puts public safety at risk. He believes that the failures with respect to the official languages since the beginning of the health crisis put public safety at risk, and so do I.

I would like to briefly state what the Conservatives would do and require.

The Conservative Party believes that it is vital that we modernize the Official Languages Act.

The Conservative Party recognized the Quebec nation and is a strong supporter of the French language in all francophone communities outside Quebec.

On September 14, our leader met with François Legault and confirmed that he agreed with Quebec's demand that Bill 101 apply to federally regulated businesses operating in the province. The Conservative Party supports the application of Bill 101 to federally regulated businesses in Quebec. It goes without saying that this is about respect.

The Conservative Party wants to expand the mandate of the Official Languages Commissioner to include a review of services in French for all francophones across the country. In the last election campaign, the Conservatives promised to require all federal departments to have plans and objectives to improve their services in both languages, and we would also have liked to expand this approach to federally regulated businesses.

A Conservative government led by our leader will modernize the Official Languages Act to adapt it to today's reality without delay. The Conservative Party is calling on the Minister of Canadian Heritage to provide reasons for the delay. The Conservative Party is urging the Prime Minister and the Minister of Canadian Heritage to provide a timeline for the modernization of the Official Languages Act.

Many of us here in the House can legitimately speak to the importance of defending and preserving French both in Quebec and outside Quebec, as a mother tongue and language of work, but very few of us are truly able to do it.

The Liberals have proven to be utterly disappointing, and the Bloc, for its part, can talk all it wants, but we all know it will never be able to do anything since it can never form a government here in Parliament.

History has always proven that the francophones in our country and especially in Quebec have a very great sense of leadership for preserving their language and francophone values. The example of the debate this evening is living proof of that leadership and reminds us that these moments of awareness encourage many Quebeckers to take all the necessary steps to ensure the preservation of our very beautiful French language.

In my opinion, solutions will come from all of us in the larger French-speaking community. It will come from stakeholders who put their heart and soul into defending what is vital for us. Our perseverance in our struggles has always made the difference, as well as the great francophone solidarity, which I consider to be a unique phenomenon, when we face the common challenge to safeguard our French language.

Little individual actions can add up to create an unprecedented collective effort, and the story of our presence here, in America, is a living proof of that principle. We can support our French communities in several ways, and the overhaul of the Official Languages Act becomes important and unavoidable in the debate we are having tonight. Not to mention that granting Quebec's request for greater autonomy in areas of culture and immigration could, in the long run, help protect French in Quebec and by extension in the rest of Canada.

Therefore I humbly submit my thoughts and I hope, as a father and grandfather, that my heartfelt appeal will be heard: We must unite and rally behind the only party capable of protecting our French language, which is so dear to us, and ensuring its sustainability. We must elect a new Conservative government at the next general election.

The love and deep affection felt by all francophones for their language unite them behind a common goal which goes beyond the personal interests of each person. What makes a huge difference as far as results are concerned is the sum of all our actions.

To the entire francophone community which I represent with pride and dignity, I say that we have to face adversity, stand together, be prolific in our initiatives and remain faithful to our origins. Each era has its challenge, and the election coming up in the next months will be vital for what happens next.

To conclude, I will say that it is all about making choices, and people can take my word for it that I will make all possible efforts to ensure the prosperity and the influence of my mother tongue for the good of all of us in Parliament and in all my daily activities.

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague. Congratulations to Amélie and Arthur.

The member said that he sat on the Standing Committee on Official Languages during the time of the Harper government. I would like to know how he reacted then to the drastic cuts to CBC/Radio-Canada's budget, to the abolition of the court challenges program and to the fact that his government only appointed unilingual anglophone judges to the Supreme Court.

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lévis—Lotbinière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague. I think Amélie will be very happy to hear the minister's congratulations.

I remind my colleague that the worst budget cuts to CBC/Radio-Canada happened under the Liberals. More than a third of the cuts, in fact. We will take no lessons from the Liberals in that regard. There was an economic crisis and everyone had to do their part. We need to set the record straight.

If the member wants to bring up judicial appointments, I will gladly indulge her since it is one of my favourite subjects. As it turns out, the Liberals' only criterion to appoint judges is whether they greased Liberal palms or sent a little cheque to the party. If so, the doors are wide open. I will not belabour that point because it is straying away from tonight's debate, which is very serious.

[Yves Perron, Bloc, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

Mr. Speaker a few times this evening members have been questioning the existence of the Bloc Québécois, saying that it will never be able to form government and is of little use. I find that scandalous. That is a little nod to my colleague who just spoke.

The Bloc Québécois is here to defend the interests of Quebec and to speak on behalf of the Quebec National Assembly when it adopts unanimous motions. The two main parties have not historically been reliable in this respect.

Back to the topic at hand, if the Bloc Québécois did not have 32 members of Parliament right now, I am not sure that we would be debating the French language this evening. That is why we are here.

We have heard a lot of emotional speeches this evening, and while I love them, the Liberals need to remember that they are in government. They need to take meaningful action. The Liberal government talks a good game. Does my colleague not think that is scandalous?

We are proposing two concrete actions: allow Quebec to welcome new citizens in French and allow Quebeckers to work in their language in all businesses.

I would like to hear my colleague's thoughts on welcoming new residents in French.

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lévis—Lotbinière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. I will speak to all Quebeckers.

In my speech, I listed the necessary steps we need to take to protect the French language and move forward. There is only one way to do that. In a few months, the Conservative Party is going to end up on the other side of the House with the help of 32 to 40 ridings in Quebec, no doubt, and those ridings will all be well represented. They will not be represented by 40 silent members like the Liberals. They will be represented by a whole team of francophone Conservatives from Quebec.

[Joël Lightbound, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by congratulating my colleague on the birth of his grandson. In 2020, little snatches of light and life like this are good for the soul. We will take them.

With regard to his speech, I can tell that he is sincere about the French language. I have no doubt about that. I thank him for his speech.

However, here is my question for him. When he was a member of Stephen Harper's government, Mr. Harper was not shy about appointing unilingual anglophones to all sorts of key positions. Take, for example, Michael Ferguson's appointment as Auditor General or the judges who were appointed to the Supreme Court. The Conservative government at the time said that the positions had been posted but that no qualified bilingual candidates had applied and so it had no choice.

Does the member not agree that, in order to be appointed to the highest court in the country, candidates must be bilingual and able to hear cases in both French and English? In his opinion should that not be a prerequisite for being appointed to the Supreme Court?

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lévis—Lotbinière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am glad to hear that the member wants to move forward with a more francophone future in Canada.

However, if we really want to stop the decline of our language, us francophones all have to do our part, because it is us francophones who will stand up for French. We cannot expect help to come from Canada, the United States or anywhere else in America.

We have to ensure our own protection, and we in the Conservative Party will do so as the future government, with our future prime minister who was here in the front row earlier. At least, he bothered to show up and give a speech.

[Peter Julian, NDP, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech.

In every province where the NDP has been in power—British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario—francophone rights have improved, but every time it was against strenuous opposition from the Conservatives.

I wholeheartedly hope for a change in direction, but does the member understand that the Conservative Party's approach in the past has often been to suppress the rights of francophones? Is he saying that his party will be more favourable to linguistic equality and respect for both official languages in this country moving forward?

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lévis—Lotbinière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for his question.

It is a pleasure for me to talk about the future of the Conservative Party, where there will be more and more francophones. This is something I can say based on my experience. In 2006, there were few of us. We were about ten, but from 2004 to 2006, there were none from Quebec. Our numbers keep increasing, and the contribution of the francophone caucus in the Conservative Party has been making quite a difference since 2006. I have witnessed that every day since then. The future is bright for the Conservative Party, whose members will sit on the other side of the aisle.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate my colleague for the birth of his grandson. Hear, hear!

My hon. colleague made reference a few times to his being here since 2006. That is fantastic because, in 2009, the Bloc Québécois tabled exactly the same bill, and every Conservative, including my colleague for Lévis—Lotbinière, voted against it. It is quite peculiar to see them today, as they suddenly decide to vote for it.

What made them do an about-face? Is the large number of members from the Bloc Québécois scaring them? Voting against that bill looks to me like a real scandal.

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lévis—Lotbinière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his question.

I was fortunate, if you can call it fortunate, to sit with his father. This demonstrates a certain continuity among francophones and shows that we are interested in politics and federal politics. The best proof that his father was a strong advocate of federal policy is that he is still receiving a federal pension. He never gave up his pension, even if he was in the Bloc Québécois. This shows that he always loved federal politics. He always liked being here, because he enjoyed it.

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

Mr. Speaker, first I would like to thank my colleague for his excellent speech and his incredible presentation, as well as the quality of his comments, which are very much in tune with what is currently happening.

Our party, and of course his party, along with all our colleagues in Quebec, wants to defend the French language to the best of our ability. The problem we are currently having with this government is that it does not keep its promises. One of its key promises in recent years was that it would modernize the Official Languages Act, but that has not yet been done. We are still waiting, and it plans to put out a white paper to once again delay the tabling of a modernized official languages act.

I would like my colleague to speak about this.