Hon. Lucie Moncion: Official language minority communities refer to groups who have historically faced discrimination, and continue to face discrimination through policies, legislation and funding of their institutions by provincial and territorial governments. These communities are afforded special constitutional guarantees to address historical and ongoing challenges.

Official languages, on the other hand, undeniably served as a tool of colonization, contributing to the eradication and weakening of numerous Indigenous languages — a regrettable legacy that we now seek to reverse. My hope is that Bill C-35, along with other legislation that this government brought forward, such as the Indigenous Languages Act, can facilitate the revitalization and reappropriation of these languages by Indigenous peoples.

We need to collaborate and stand united in an effort toward reconciliation. Polarizing politics should have no place in this chamber, and both the government and this chamber have a duty to protect minorities.

Both official language minority communities and Indigenous peoples benefit from specific constitutionally guaranteed rights. It is essential to give due consideration to these rights in our deliberation on Bill C-35. As is often the case in government bills, numerous constitutional rights and guarantees coexist within the same legal framework. It does not mean that they are the same, or that they need to be compared. Explicit references to the holders of some guaranteed rights do not, in any way, diminish those of other groups.

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