Official Languages committee  That's right. I learned a lot, very quickly. You have to be ready to make the leap. I also want to point out that co-op programs lend themselves to young people's aspirations. It is possible to do a co-op internship in the department. We have a lot of co-op students. We are the

Official Languages committee  Yes. We have an agreement with the School of Public Service. Nine teachers, Francophones or Anglophones, are dedicated to us for training, whether it is for skills upgrading or to develop the second language. This year, we invested almost $5 million in language training, which is

Official Languages committee  Perhaps I could draw a parallel, although it doesn't relate to official languages. In the case of visible minorities, we had certain challenges. Ms. Lorenzato and myself took the bull by the horns and now we have exceeded our goals. Personally, I can tell you that we are determin

Official Languages committee  I would just like to make one final point, Mr. Chairman. I had an idea that came out of my own personal experience when I was younger. I asked Ms. Lorenzato and the management team whether it would be possible for an Anglophone from Vancouver, Alberta or Ontario who is interested

Official Languages committee  The ones I saw who were able to do it learned French very quickly. We're really talking about complete immersion both culturally and linguistically, and they don't lose their French. I remember that. Unfortunately, it is not always easy to arrange. Often it is because of the fam

Official Languages committee  No.

Official Languages committee  You refer to the Olympic Games--

Official Languages committee  I'm a member of several different deputy minister committees, yes.

Official Languages committee  Well, I've never counted, but there are a number of them.

Official Languages committee  Yes, we do. I sit on the Senior Officials Committee chaired by the Clerk of the Privy Council which is responsible for succession planning, if you will, at the deputy minister and associate deputy minister levels. We have discussed official languages. Every time that official lan

Official Languages committee  No, there are no reports. Often these discussions are intended to determine whether there is an issue that needs to be resolved and whether there are potential solutions. People attend the meetings, take notes, do the necessary follow-up and ensure that what needs to be done gets

Official Languages committee  I'm thinking of both this committee and others as well. I also sit on the Deputy Ministers Committee on Public Service Renewal. There we talk about bilingualism, and we talk about the importance of the French fact and the English fact in Canada. Commitments are translated into ac

Official Languages committee  No. As far as I'm concerned, official languages do not correspond to a specific program. In our department, it is a way of operating. I obviously have projects, but they are not affected by budget reductions. It's important to keep them in place. It is also a whole way of working

Official Languages committee  Second-language training is offered to all our employees, whether they are Francophone or Anglophone.

Official Languages committee  Yes. I referred earlier to 9 teachers and the agreement we entered into with the School of Public Service. I did not want there to be a line-up for training. So, I discussed it with Ms. Lorenzato. The fact is that people were waiting for their turn to arrive, something that can b