Senator Dagenais: Government leader, you talked about the Governor General’s impressive effort in delivering the Speech from the Throne. Wouldn’t you agree that the amount of time the Governor General spent speaking French during the speech would have been more appropriate for one of this country’s dialects than for a constitutionally recognized official language?

Senator Gold: Canada’s two official languages are fundamental to its identity. Recognition of Indigenous languages is also an important step on the path to reconciliation. I think the appointment of the current Governor General and her commitment to mastering French are assets for Canada.