Official Languages committee  I would like to briefly talk about bilingualism, if I may. There is a paradox in the desire of Quebeckers to have it both ways, to be bilingual and to promote bilingualism outside Quebec. To illustrate this paradox, my daughter has a law degree from the Université de Montréal a

Official Languages committee  Quebeckers have a strong desire to be bilingual.

Official Languages committee  An effort is needed to increase the percentage of Canadians who speak French outside Quebec. For example, I think a lot more could be done to encourage anglophones in Ottawa, the national capital region, to become bilingual. It requires finding direct and indirect ways to promote

Official Languages committee  Which topic would you like me to comment on?

Official Languages committee  I don't think the situations of communities across the country are entirely symmetrical. We can't compare the circumstances of anglophones who live in certain parts of Quebec with the circumstances of francophones living in Chicoutimi or even New Brunswick. I know it's nice to ha

Official Languages committee  In terms of allophones, that is to say those who speak a third language, a large number of those who define themselves as allophones are able to speak French. I think the issue is more about determining how to include them in the definition of francophones. Some definitions are

Official Languages committee  I will comment on French speakers because the bulk of francophones in Quebec, particularly in Montreal, want to learn English. The problem arises in high school, where English instruction does not seem to be adequate for a certain number of francophones. That is probably one of

Official Languages committee  I think it depends on the programs, rather than the actual organization.

Official Languages committee  Programs should determine, on the basis of the terms of reference, which organizations receive funding, be it the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste or another organization.

Official Languages committee  In the case that Mr. Dupuis referred to, a very specific target was set for immigration. You must establish the resources and the process to reach this target. Don't create targets that are too vague because they're open to interpretation. The targets must be more specific.

Official Languages committee  Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. My thanks also to the members of the committee for inviting me to share my thoughts on the status of the debate over official languages and linguistic duality in Canada, especially in Quebec. I will start with my observations and end with some re

Official Languages committee  I think there are challenges associated with advancing the condition of some of those communities, particularly the ones outside Montreal. There are also challenges for English speakers in Montreal, as we know. Again, these are all connected to the politics and jurisdictional dis

Official Languages committee  I think it would be quite difficult to bring our first ministers together at a meeting. For some of them, their interests are more related to their geography and demographics. They have their respective constraints. However, there are many organizations and thinkers across Canada

Official Languages committee  As we say in English "Use it or lose it”.

Official Languages committee  Personally, I think there is too much timidity in the discourse, if we consider our country's history and evolution. We have had another era when we were ready to violate the rights of minorities, as they had been conceived in contemporary society. The situation was rectified in