Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Good morning, Minister. I believe this is the first time that we have met since your appointment, even though it took place approximately nine months ago.
One thing concerns me, and I would like to know what the government intends to do in this area. Quebec has immigration offices in several countries. I understand; that is not a problem. Quebec is promoting francophone immigration to Canada. I have visited other countries where Quebec was not present, and it seems as though Canada has no presence in the Francophonie. It is as if we expect Quebec alone to attract immigrants to Canada. Obviously they attempt to bring them to Quebec; that is normal. In Canadian Embassies in certain countries, there is not even information provided in French, nothing is translated into French. I have often found that because I travel everywhere, I have been to a number of countries. You arrive at the embassy and it is insulting to find that there is a lack of information in French. It seems to me that if there is no information at the embassy and if there are francophones in the country...
Who at the embassy is responsible for speaking with the local people and promoting francophone immigration to Moncton, Caraquet or Shippagan? With all due respect, Quebec is not responsible for that. It promotes immigration to Quebec, to attract immigrants to the regions of Quebec. I understand that. The federal government has given Quebec some of the responsibility for immigration, so that it can attract the francophones to Quebec. We, the francophones outside Quebec, are missing the boat, as we say in the baie des Chaleurs.