Quote:
Originally Posted by MarchHare
I can't believe I'm making excuses for Dion, because I'm absolutely not a fan of his, but you're wrong here. By law, he must be able to speak and understand one of Canada's two official languages, which he does fluently. It's right there in the Charter.
As for the comments about "he has to speak perfect English to attend G7 meetings", do you not think they have professional translators?
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Don't you think that there are a good deal of exchanges done at high-level leadership meetings in person without the intervention of translators? What about First Minister's meetings? What about NAFTA meetings?
It may not be a constitutional requirement, but it is certainly a practical requirement. People did not consider Preston Manning because of his lack of French language skills and even Harper was under the gun for awhile due to questions about his ability to speak fluent French.