Mr. Chair, members of Parliament, on behalf of the 2.5 million French-speaking Canadians living in 9 provinces and territories who I am representing here today, I want to thank you for inviting us to appear this afternoon.
We are here today to talk about efficiency, productivity and Canada's success. We are here to tell you that we share those priorities of the Government of Canada and that they are not just hollow words to us. They are the guiding principles at the heart of hundreds of organizations and institutions in francophone and Acadian communities that work every day to develop programs, activities and services to support French-speaking Canadians in all aspects of their daily lives.
The Government of Canada has built innovative partnerships with these organizations through investment mechanisms, such as the Roadmap for Canada's Linguistic Duality initiative and Canadian Heritage programs that support official languages. These partnerships help the government adopt new approaches to many social challenges, an objective outlined by the government in its throne speech this past March. These partnerships enable the government to meet its objectives and obligations under the Official Languages Act in a more cost-effective manner; pursuant to the act, the government has a duty to support the development and vitality of official language communities. These partnerships also enable the government to more efficiently and cost-effectively fulfill its role, which, as the Minister of Finance indicated on Tuesday, is to provide the infrastructure, programs and services necessary for the economy and society to prosper in the long term. Whether their focus is health, education, the economy, job creation, access to justice or literacy, these organizations tackle local and regional challenges while enhancing Canadians' ability to live in French across the country.
Did you know, for instance, that investing in organizations in francophone and Acadian communities helps welcome and integrate immigrants? Did you know that investing in organizations in francophone and Acadian communities helps small and medium-size businesses grow and enhances employability? And did you know that investing in organizations in our communities promotes health training?
The work carried out by organizations in francophone and Acadian communities reflects the government's priorities and helps the government meet its objectives. Organizations that contribute to the development and vitality of French-speaking communities across nine provinces and three territories use federal funds in efficient and innovative ways to help the government achieve its objectives of strengthening the francophone identity and supporting local communities. That is one of the reasons we are here today.
The other is that we are aware of the two review and reporting exercises currently underway focusing on the organizations in our communities and their ability to help Canada grow and prosper.
On one hand, the Government of Canada has undertaken a review of programs and spending in an effort to restore fiscal balance in the next few years. That is why you invited us to appear today. On the other hand, the Government of Canada is in the midst of a mid-term report on the Roadmap for Canada's Linguistic Duality 2008-2013. Both activities are necessarily interconnected.
Our message for you today is this: assuming that organizations in francophone and Acadian communities are essential partners delivering services to Canadians and thus helping the government meet its objectives, the Roadmap for Canada's Linguistic Duality is one of the levers allowing those organizations to fulfill that role. I say “one of the levers” because it would not be to the government's advantage to have just one. Programs to support official languages and investments in francophone and Acadian communities provided by such departments as Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, Justice Canada, Health Canada, and Citizenship and Immigration Canada are all important in their own right.
As we mentioned in our brief, nearly 60% of the revenue provided by the Government of Canada is invested by community organizations in projects and services for residents. The remaining 40% is used to build financial or other types of partnerships with provincial, territorial and municipal governments, as well as the private sector, foundations and other community agencies. These investments should be maintained and ultimately even enhanced.
Because they understand this environment, francophone and Acadian community agencies are able to help the federal government meet its objectives of supporting local communities and enhancing the presence of French culture throughout Canada in an efficient and more cost-effective manner. By strengthening the role and capacity of these organizations, the government will have all the tools it needs to work with these communities to create jobs, stimulate investment and contribute to our country's growth.
Thank you.