Thank you, Mr. Chair.
First, I would like to thank you for being here this morning. The issue before us is certainly something on which depends the capacity for Canada to go forward, especially in rural areas. I appreciated your presentations, and I have several questions to ask, the first one being on literacy.
I think what you said earlier about cuts is a confirmed fact. But there is something unreal about this. I get the impression everything should come from Ottawa, and not from the regions. As far as literacy is concerned, it is certainly not from Ottawa that we can improve the literacy level in each of the provinces, and in each of the regions inside each province.
I come from New Brunswick. I had already noticed that situation in my province, but when I went in other provinces, I realized the situation is the same.
First, this is not the right message we should send to volunteers. In most cases, we depend on volunteers to contribute to an improvement in the literacy level. Second, I do not think we are sending the right message to the Canadian public. We are saying we want to make sure everybody can read and write adequately. But what we have seen in the last several weeks is that we are in fact trying to a point to make sure Canadians remain illiterate.
I would like to have your comments on this.