Good morning.
I would like to begin by thanking you for being here today. I listened closely to what you had to say. I am a new member of Parliament since I am a Conservative from Quebec. It has been said that our kind is a mystery.
I am pleased that you are here today. For the first time in 25 years, as our chairman said, we are visiting you. Whether decisions are taken or not, the fact remains that we came to see you. I think this is a sign of respect towards minority francophone communities. You have shared some of your problems with us and we have listened. That is why we are here. Whether what you say about the government is positive or negative is not the point. What matters, however, is that we establish a relationship.
We visited Newfoundland and Moncton, among other places, and one issue in particular caught my attention. The population is aging everywhere, in Quebec and elsewhere. Medical care therefore becomes extremely important. People have told us that it is hard to keep French speaking staff. It is not enough to speak about this problem: we have to make sure that the services are available.
Which leads me to my next question. We need to be realistic and not create problems where there are none. We have to make sure that things work. Your physicians are paid much more than those in Quebec. How do you retain your French speaking doctors?
That seems to be a problem for you. The French speaking population is growing old, in my province and yours as well. This issue will become urgent soon. Have you already considered a range of solutions or have you begun to apply some of them?
Mr. Pelletier or Mr. Boisvenue may respond.