Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, minister for being here with us today.
Welcome Ms. Laurendeau and Mr. Francis. It is always a pleasure to have you here with us.
We are very proud to see that the government is investing in arts and culture.
Minister, I will get straight to my first question, which — I hope — might affect organizations back home.
You talked about investing in festivals. As everyone knows, there are major festivals held in Quebec, in big cities like Montreal and Quebec City, in which the government participates. However, if I understand correctly, the proposed new investments in the budget for festivals are more for the regions, as well as smaller festivals that are often the cornerstones of celebrations. You talked about the economy and this investment will add to the regional economy.
I would like you to elaborate on these investments you are proposing for festivals that you briefly mentioned in your presentation.