I'm going to ask General Semianiw a question about the Collège militaire royal in Saint-Jean.
The college was shut down in 1995, but it has just been reopened. We were delighted to see the college reopen. What's more, the two ministers who were responsible for the reopening were in Saint-Jean that day. However, the Collège militaire royal de Saint-Jean was not re-established at the same level as it was at when it was shut down.
I would just like to remind you that the Collège militaire royal de Saint-Jean was opened in 1952 and the objective was to help francophone soldiers gain entry to the Canadian armed forces. When the college was re-established last summer, it had 200 officer cadets enrolled in a qualifying year, first year or second year, which meant that the institution had the status of a college. It was given a budget of approximately $12 million per year.
We would like to see the Collège militaire royal de Saint-Jean become a prestigious institution once again, return to the status it enjoyed when it was founded and the status it developed until 1995. It must become a full-fledged university with a budget of $25 million, which would mean enrolment of approximately 400 officer cadets.
I've discussed this with the minister on a few occasions. He said that they were kind of taking it one step at a time. How do you see the college regaining its previous status? The Conservative government has recognized Quebec as a nation, so perhaps they should re-establish the military college with the same status it enjoyed when it was shut down. Personally, I think that would encourage francophones to join the Canadian armed forces.
What are your plans in this regard?