Good morning. Welcome to our committee.
I'd like to welcome you here.
Welcome to the Standing Committee of Official Languages. This parliamentary committee has been in existence for the last 25 years, and this is the first time that it is criss--crossing the country to meet people on the ground.
Our tour began on Monday in St. John's, Newfoundland; on Tuesday, we travelled to Moncton; and yesterday we were in Sherbrooke. Today we are in Toronto and tomorrow we will be in Sudbury.
Our tour will continue on in the month of December, when we will be travelling to Vancouver, Edmonton, Regina and Manitoba.
The goal of this tour is to meet with people and collect their thoughts on the Official Languages Action Plan for 2003. We want to know how the action plan is serving minority populations in Canada, francophones outside Quebec, and anglophones inside Quebec. Yesterday in Sherbrooke, we met precisely with anglophones.
I'm happy to welcome you here this morning.
Canadian Parents for French in Ontario. It's something that is very important to us. We have met in Ottawa before, but maybe it's not the same group. You're very welcome.
We have here today Sylvie Boucher from the Conservative Party--the government--Pierre Lemieux, and Daniel Petit.
Opposition members sitting on this committee are: Jean-Claude D'Amours, from the Liberal Party, the official opposition; Ms. Vivian Barbot, from the Bloc Québécois; and myself Yvon Godin, member for Acadie—Bathurst, NDP.
This tour was not launched because there's a new government in power. It was this parliamentary committee that asked for authorization from Parliament to travel to the regions and talk to Canadians about the action plan.
I would ask that you begin by introducing yourselves as well as the group and association you represent. You each have eight minutes for your presentation.
We will begin by hearing from Canadian Parents for French.