From a purely common sense perspective, I could go with offering french language instruction for 2 years in HIGH SCHOOL to kids that are old enough to make other important choices on their own (we won't go into that here), but I cannot support forcing instruction on children under 14. That amounts to nothing more than social structuring.
As far as communicating in quebec is concerned, if I wanted to go there I would an attempt to learn their language. If a person wants to enter a career that would place him in quebec, he would have to be some lazy SOB to not go and learn the language on his own. The fact of the matter is that it should be a FREE CHOICE.....which seems to be in sad short supply in this country lately.
Case in point:
Liberal MPs warned to toe line on gun registry or face expulsion
By The Canadian Press
Wednesday, March 19, 2003
OTTAWA (CP) - Liberal MPs who vote against continued funding for the controversial federal gun registry risk being expelled from caucus, says party whip Marlene Catterall.
"That's certainly one of the possibilities," Catterall said as she left a Liberal caucus meeting Wednesday.
"It's very clear that the prime minister feels that if he doesn't have the support of his caucus and the House of Commons on the matter of the gun registry, that this is a matter of confidence."
The remarks came after a half-dozen MPs and senators circulated a letter to their colleagues urging them to oppose $59 million in supplementary spending estimates for the financially troubled registry when the Commons votes on the matter next week.
The letter was signed by MPs Roger Gallaway, John Efford, Lawrence O'Brien and Joe Comuzzi and by senators Anne Cools and Herb Sparrow.
Prime Minister Jean Chretien had no comment after the caucus meeting, but MP John Harvard said it was made clear to members behind closed doors that the registry must continue to operate.
Harvard said there were no threats, but MPs can figure out on their own that if they vote against the government on a key money matter ``there could be possible consequences.''
The gun registry has been under heavy attack since December, when Auditor General Sheila Fraser delivered a damning report on cost overruns that are expected to drive the price tag for the program to $1 billion by the time it concludes its first decade in operation in 2005. It was originally supposed to cost taxpayers just $2 million. |
