Treasury Board is about to approve our request for only three years of funding for the organization of our services. So the 2006-2007 fiscal year has been taken care of.
We are concerned about the funding for 2007-2008. We believe that the committee can help us to obtain that funding. It is a first step, but the funding must be continuous if we want to make any headway with the projects outlined in these documents that are being undertaken jointly with the provinces.
Money from the federal government provides a kickstart and attracts more funding. It is not our only source of money but, as Mr. Fortier said, it attracts help from communities, provinces and municipalities. We are concerned about the funding for 2007-2008, which is important. Budgets will be brought down soon — in February — and the committee can help us by making recommendations. And we will raise the issue with Minister Clement.
We, along with our colleagues from the training consortium, have another concern; it relates to the initial five-year agreement that will end in 2008. We would like to know what will happen post-2008. The seven or eight provincial ministers with whom I have spoken expressed the same concern and would like to intervene in order to ensure continued funding. I have letters of support from Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, British Columbia, etc.
I said earlier that it takes eight years to train a doctor. The fifth year is about to begin. So what do we do? Do we simply forget about the sixth, seventh and eight years?
It would not make a very good impression on those who have devoted so much of themselves to improve the services. These people are involved in an ongoing process. They need something to take them beyond 2008, and your committee can probably be quite instrumental in doing that.
I would be more than happy to come back to tell you about the advisory committee's results and provide you with the recommendations that have been made for the post-2008 period.