For some 50 years, Canadian Heritage has been responsible for implementing the act. However, Canadian Heritage doesn't have any power over the departments. Canadian Heritage does its work and makes recommendations to the departments, but they are free as to whether they will implement 25%, 50% or 100% of the recommendations, or none at all.
If we want this bill to advance the francophone cause, we clearly need an agency that has authority over these departments. In this instance, the agency in the best position is, we feel, the Treasury Board.
It's not a matter of taking away from Canadian Heritage the work that it does. It would continue to administer its programs as it has been doing very well for many years. However, we would like the Treasury Board to be solely responsible for everything surrounding the implementation of the act.
In the bill as it now stands, it includes a paragraph which would allow the Treasury Board to delegate its responsibilities. It's essential that this should not be left in the act, because the Treasury Board should be solely in charge of coordinating the act's implementation. This would mean that the departments would have to comply with the recommendations and the work being done with respect to the act, contrary to the situation we have been in for some time now.