Official Languages committee  Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Thank you very much to the witnesses and for the presentation we heard today. I have a question regarding education in the languages. What education factors do you believe must be considered in promoting optimal second language learning? In this case, we are in a minority situation in Quebec.

Official Languages committee  I just want to correct you. In my riding of Pickering—Scarborough East, which is close to Toronto, a lot of immigrant parents want their kids in immersion.

Official Languages committee  It is not a question of not being willing to do it. They are very conscious about bilingualism in Canada. They want to help their children; however, they don't have the possibility because either they are discouraged or there are not the means to provide this education.

Official Languages committee  Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. First of all, I would like to thank our witnesses for their presentations. Thank you very much for your contributions to our study. As you well know, Canada is a country with enormous linguistic diversity, yet both official languages continue to be very attractive to all of Canadian society.

Official Languages committee  He is a lawyer.

Official Languages committee  I just need that clarification if it is possible.

Official Languages committee  I want clarification. We are speaking about the officers of Parliament. I see the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner—I just need clarification—and the president of the Public Service Commission. Are they officers of Parliament?

Official Languages committee  I'm just asking if they are there for a reason.

Official Languages committee  Okay.

Official Languages committee  Yes, absolutely.

Official Languages committee  You know, the notion is “clearly”, and—

Official Languages committee  Just for clarification, what do you mean by “clearly”? What is the definition? What do you mean by “clearly”? That's what I am asking.

Official Languages committee  I was just asking...[Technical difficulty--Editor]...rights and freedoms. It is so evident in this case that it seems to obviate the need to have something that is reinforcing something which everybody ought to know. I have another question. Which statutes, policies, and directives will be affected by Bill C-419?

Official Languages committee  Finally, the last question is regarding clause 4, which is speaking about the incumbent. Probably it would be clearer to have the second-in-command have the same qualifications as the person who has the position; I don't know. Would this be a change requiring additional legislation?

Official Languages committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have a question regarding the preamble. We heard a lot of discussion about the preamble in this legislation. In my opinion—and I am not a lawyer; I am an engineer—there are many motherhood statements that are already provided in other legislation. Why do we need to use the preamble to explain something that is evident?