Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Minister, thank you for coming here.
You spoke about upping the program by $300 million. We certainly want to know whether it's specifically within your department, whether it's specifically above the action plan as presented by the department, and whether it's specifically for francophone communities.
I'll let you answer that after I ask my second question, which is really more of a comment.
I'm from Moncton, New Brunswick. It's a tremendously vibrant community, not only culturally and linguistically, but it has a great economy. It should be a centre and a target for immigration in this country.
I'm a little disturbed because the deputy mayor of my city, the former premier, and Monsieur Patry, from our party, attended. I don't recall any discussion from those individuals on the issue of immigration to Canada. Moncton itself has a consulat général for France in its community, as well as a consulat de Roumanie in our community.
The buck stops at your desk and you have to take responsibility. I'm not sure that you as minister emphasized the importance of the francophone minority population and the economic vibrancy that exists in New Brunswick or that you promoted it as a department. I don't know what role you had at the Sommet de la Francophonie and whether you were maximizing it, but I don't think you were.