After all these consultations and all the work that you've done, and after all the work that the government, the opposition and the Standing Committee on Official Languages have done—the committee has carried out studies over the years—the government has come up with a proposal. It did not include the six amendments you have put forward. That gets me thinking, and I'm wondering whether the government really wants to assign this government-wide responsibility to the Treasury Board. And yet, it's what you are asking for, and I agree with your proposal.
We experienced this in the past. We've been talking about it since 2009. I think one of the realities we're currently facing with the federal government is that the machinery of government itself is one of the worst students in the class on providing service to Canadian francophones. All kinds of mistakes are made in all kinds of areas for all kinds of reasons. Not only that, but the act is not necessarily enforced.
I personally agree with giving powers to the Commissioner. What worries me is that the government itself would never have to fulfil its own obligations to the French language. In many instances, it disregards it. Even today, ministers submit reports only in English. We've been talking about this for 25 years. The government's failings are never penalized by the Commissioner, because he can't penalize the government. I haven't spoken to my colleagues about this, but I'm prepared to tell you that we are in favour of these changes.
Other witnesses will be coming to testify in connection with the study we are currently conducting. The Liberals would like to get this done within 15 hours, but we think it's going to take a lot longer than that, without necessarily drawing things out needlessly. I think we had agreed it should be adopted by Christmas. That was our goal.