Official Languages committee  I was waiting for you to say it, Mr. Arseneault. That's a role that we can play. So we can lament the situation, but we can't stop, and that's why it's important to maintain an Office of the Commissioner. Mr. Boileau has done an extraordinary job, and the people who followed him have seen that his work is respectful of all Ontario communities.

Official Languages committee  As you know, people are concerned that they have provincial MLAs who belong to a movement that seems to oppose official bilingualism. It shouts from the rooftops that it opposes bilingualism, but that same party stated in its election platform that it wanted to abolish the commissioner position.

Official Languages committee  That's your baby.

Official Languages committee  That could be done, but you asked me what I thought. We seem to have different opinions of what you've previously heard; so that's fine.

Official Languages committee  Oh, yes, lawyers. We're lawyers too, or almost. I'm giving you my opinion. The political world has to be involved. Are we making the political world less accountable by adding another level? We at the Office of the Commissioner have the courts. We've realized that the courts in New Brunswick and elsewhere work quite well.

Official Languages committee  It's a lack of commitment and a lack of understanding. It's all well and good to say that there's a lack of courage and understanding, but how can we create it? I think we have to work upstream. New Brunswick's Official Languages Act was passed in 1969. It was revised in 2002, and the position of commissioner was created.

Official Languages committee  I'll leave it to others to comment on the federal tribunal issue. For the purposes of our office, I'm not convinced that would add anything. I recently looked at the New Brunswick Human Rights Commission. It took seven years to settle one case in particular, and it wasn't because the commission was very busy.

Official Languages committee  I'm not in favour of coercive powers being granted to the Office of the Commissioner. That was reflected in my colleague's last comments: a commissioner's work is that of a diplomat, advisor and convenor. It's up to the political wing to act on recommendations and to the public to react as well if recommendations are not followed.

Official Languages committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. First of all, since the meeting is televised, I thought the committee would be offering make-up service, not for you or me, Mr. Chair, since we're both young and good-looking, but my colleague, who has been under enormous stress for the past two weeks, could have used some foundation and a little rouge, but never mind.