Good afternoon and welcome, Minister. I'm welcoming you whereas I'm the one who's just come back.
As has been pointed out, the Canadian International Development Agency and Minister Oda changed their priorities and concentrated bilateral subsidies in new countries. She certainly didn't act alone. How can you explain the change in priorities as concerns francophone African countries? This question is extremely important because in Quebec, NGOs have performed very well in that area and work in francophone countries. But now, they're cut off from these countries and their expertise is no longer useful. Does this mean that the international francophonie is being abandoned?
My second question is with regard to Mr. Abdelrazik and Mr. Khadr as well as Ms. Nathalie Morin, who is not suspected of anything and who wants to return to Canada. She's in Saudi Arabia, sequestered with her three children by Saeed al-Bachir. I've been working with her for a year now and I find that the embassy has not helped her at all. At one point, the embassy even said that it was unable to welcome Ms. Morin and her children even though the husband was prepared to drive them to the embassy and let them go. Our embassies cost us quite a lot of money, but I'm wondering how Canadian citizens facing problems abroad can be sure that their country, through these embassies, will help them.