Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Welcome, Minister. I listened carefully to your comments, but I have to say you did not convince me. There are a number of points I would like to raise.
First of all, to our knowledge, before making a spectacular shift and removing eight African countries from your list of core countries — which happen to be Francophone — you did not in fact consult anyone who has worked or is currently working in these countries. We find that surprising. Indeed, it is a worrisome surprise, particularly since you are telling us that the next list will only be amended following a decision by Cabinet. That is a clear indication of the importance of this shift.
Second, you are probably aware that the Quebec National Assembly unanimously passed a resolution asking you to reinstate the former list. Indeed, some countries have been abandoned and the Quebec National Assembly believes it is also responsible for helping NGOs and community groups that have acquired a great deal of experience and play a major developmental role in Francophone Africa.
Third, I would like to ask you a question. Given what you have said, how can you continue to say that you will meet the Millennium Development Goals? We cannot see how you will be in a position to do that. Indeed, no one we have spoken to sees how that could be possible.