Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It's not my intention to indicate that any aboriginal language is of lesser importance than English or French, but the reality is that in the school system, it is. I don't see this government and the Department of Education taking any steps to enhance official languages and the aboriginal languages.

For example, in my community, we've had a difficult time getting a Cree teacher, let alone the department going out and making sure other classes were stopped until they could obtain a Cree teacher. There was no such effort like that. Things went on as they were and, as a result, this past year there hasn't been a Cree teacher available, probably because of the criteria requested by the department.

What I am asking in this motion is that if the department wants to make a sincere effort to address aboriginal languages as official languages in the school system, then teachers shouldn't have to be certified if they have the knowledge available, particularly if they are not elders. There are a lot of dynamic individuals who can teach aboriginal languages in schools, but unfortunately, do not have the proper certification. These are the type of people who we are trying to capture.

So I don't think the Minister should indicate that you are making this less than the languages of English and French. If that's the way he feels, then that's how his department is addressing it, because it certainly hasn't been enhanced. Thank you.