Official Languages committee  Once the protocol for agreements is signed, which is imminent, discussions will start by asking the provinces to give us an action plan for the five-year agreement period. We will see the initiatives they are proposing by outcome domain. Discussions are currently under way on whether we are satisfied with the proposed initiatives, whether they are clear and whether we are in a position to monitor them.

Official Languages committee  No, ultimately, it is a provincial area of jurisdiction. These agreements are reached through mutual discussion.

Official Languages committee  That is the case according to the reports we receive from the provinces.

Official Languages committee  Yes.

Official Languages committee  They provide for...

Official Languages committee  As we mentioned a few moments ago, post-secondary education is definitely an opportunity that the provinces and territories are working on to try to provide a wide range of programs and services. The challenge might be greater when people leave school and enter the workplace or choose their jobs.

Official Languages committee  Every year, we ask the provinces for financial reports. First, they need to provide forecast reports for the coming year and, second, they need to provide actual reports at the end of the year demonstrating that the amounts have been spent according to the conditions of the agreements signed with them.

Official Languages committee  One major way to do that could perhaps be to clarify duplications a little. It is true that some initiatives overlap, which complicates things. However, the annual report on official languages that the department submits has clear annual figures that include everything in what I feel is a simple format.

Official Languages committee  Actually, post-secondary education is one of the outcome domains established jointly with the provinces. In the coming months, each province will come to see us and we will then be able to discuss the protocol, set the stage for bilateral agreements and engage in dialogue with each of them.

Official Languages committee  I think that it is actually over four years.

Official Languages committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. The multilateral protocol for agreements that we have in effect provides us with broad parameters. We negotiate bilateral agreements with each province according to their needs. On page 4, you see a quick overview of the content of the protocol for agreements.

Official Languages committee  My thanks to the members of the committee, and thank you, Mr. Chair. In order to maximize the time for questions, I propose to provide a brief overview of the presentation that has been circulated to you. Without further introduction, I will begin. The first page of our presentation provides you with a reminder of the legal framework that governs minority language and second language education.