Official Languages committee  Yes.

Official Languages committee  Yes.

Official Languages committee  Perhaps I should clarify. By talking about the work that needed to be done, I by no means meant to indicate that the work had not started. I've mentioned that we've been following the discussions of this committee very closely to hear from you and from your experts in terms of the advice you're hearing.

Official Languages committee  If I could just add again, just to be clear, it's not that we've not started the review. We have started the review, but again, I think it would be inappropriate of us to move forward on a response to the report from the former official languages commissioner absent the advice of this committee.

Official Languages committee  I'm hoping that you've misunderstood, because I believe—

Official Languages committee  I tried to state quite clearly in my opening remarks that Transport Canada is very much aware of the obligations of the federal institutions within our control and their obligations with regard to the Official Languages Act. We are aware that this applies as well to Air Canada, and we expect those obligations to be met.

Official Languages committee  As I mentioned, Bill C-49, the transportation modernization act, is just the first step for Minister Garneau in the implementation of this transportation 2030 plan. There are other elements and other policy issues that the department continues to study—

Official Languages committee  I think the issue of official languages will be a specific area of study once we receive the advice of this committee.

Official Languages committee  As I mentioned, we're quite aware that it's one of the suggestions or recommendations made by the former official languages commissioner. We're looking at it very closely. I've identified some of the considerations that we're bringing to that. Again, at the base of it, as I mentioned in my opening remarks, the obligations of Air Canada with regard to the Official Languages Act are statutory.

Official Languages committee  This is where you find me in a bit of a difficult situation today, in the sense that I am a representative of only one of the departments that will have a voice and an opinion in terms of the final consideration of the government with regard to this issue. What I'm trying to do is to give you an idea of some of the considerations that we're bringing to the conversation, without speaking on behalf of my colleagues.

Official Languages committee  This is where I mentioned that with Air Canada we keep an open and ongoing dialogue on a wide series of policy issues, including official languages. What we try to do—and I think you see some of this reflected in the proposal the minister has made in Bill C-49—is identify those policy issues that could continue to ensure the strong viability of our Canadian carriers, including Air Canada.

Official Languages committee  I don't think there would be. That's one of the challenges, to be frank, about the obligation with regard to official languages provisions. Air Canada has talked to this committee about all of the efforts they have invested—both human and financial—in terms of fulfilling those obligations.

Official Languages committee  Again, I think this is one of the areas in which we are currently looking at the recommendation from the former language commissioner. It's a very complex and multi-dimensional issue that certainly would involve my colleagues at the Department of Justice. Again, this is where I would say that we're looking at that issue.

Official Languages committee  Yes. You've heard from Air Canada on this issue, and we hear from them as well about the fact that as the only Canadian air carrier that's subject to this, they feel that it's not a level playing field. This is one of the considerations that we're taking into account as we're looking at some of the recommendations from the official languages commissioner.

Official Languages committee  Let me start by talking a bit about how WestJet, as you mentioned, even absent obligations under the Official Languages Act, is already providing the type of service that normally you would see on Air Canada, which is subject to the act. I think what we're seeing is that the major air carriers such as WestJet, Porter, and Air Transat, see what their market is demanding of them.