7. CONCLUSION
For any Action Plan to be successful, two ingredients are required: specific
objectives and corresponding resources. The Action Plan for Official Languages
combines these two ingredients. Annex
B indicates the resources that will be available to various departments to
enable them to attain the objectives set out in this policy statement.
In all, the Government of Canada will allocate $751.3 million to this
five-year Action Plan. This will surely have a ripple effect among other
governments, the private sector, communities and other partners, prompting them
to initiate complementary action.
But the strength of this Plan lies not so much in the funding per se but in
the entire set of measures it includes. Each one taken in isolation would not
have the desired impact. But, combined within an integrated plan, with the
contribution of communities, the provinces and territories and all Canadians,
these measures complement one another and create a synergy for success.
If the Plan succeeds, all Canadians will benefit. Within 10 years, the
proportion of eligible students who attend French-language educational
institutions will rise from 68% to 80%. Anglophone and Francophone minorities
will benefit from better public services in their own language and will be
better supported for their development.
If the Plan succeeds, the proportion of high school graduates with a command
of both our official languages will rise from 24% to 50%. When one out of two
high school graduates can speak both our official languages, and in fact some of
them will master a third or even a fourth language, Canada will be even more
open to the world, more competitive and better positioned to ensure its
prosperity.
If the Plan succeeds, the federal public service will set an example in terms
of respecting our linguistic duality. The culture of official languages will be
better grounded than ever. The Government of Canada will be better able to play
its leadership role. We can count on the President of the Treasury Board to
undertake without delay the measures provided in the Action Plan, working
closely with all federal institutions.
From now on, we will have an accountability and coordination framework that
presents each federal institution with its responsibilities, an accountability
framework that establishes unparalleled coordination so that the work of each
benefits all. The accountability and coordination framework provides for more
communication between the federal government and minority official language
communities than ever before.
The Government of Canada is resolved to play its own important role together
with all Canadians, communities and its constitutional partners to ensure this
Plan succeeds. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, in particular, will work
closely with her provincial and territorial counterparts so that the best
initiatives are chosen in each province and territory of our country.
Our best guarantee of success is the support of Canadians. The message they
— in particular young people — are sending to governments is crystal clear.
They want to benefit fully from their country’s dual linguistic heritage. The
Government of Canada is responding to Canadians through this Action Plan. It is
inviting them to write the next act in the fascinating adventure of our
bilingual country. It is giving new momentum to our linguistic duality in order
to assure Canadians a better future.
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A]
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