Thank you.
I listened to everything you said and what strikes me in particular is the fact that francophone communities outside Quebec should not be immigrants in their own country. The lack of services leads me to believe that people do not have access to what is rightfully theirs. Mr. Graham Fraser, the new Official Languages Commissioner, has the advantage of being familiar with the situations of both communities because he is an anglophone and has lived in Quebec. You will surely be pleased to learn that he defines governmental responsibility in terms of services, in other words, services which francophones living outside Quebec are entitled to and which are there for Quebec anglophones. They need to be able to live in an environment which respects them fully, in which they feel comfortable, in which they can completely be themselves, and in which they can go about their business in their own language.
This is not some psychedelic invention; it is enshrined in the Constitution. Governments need to take this fact into account and they must realize that they have a duty to act in that regard. We, in Quebec, and we, of the Bloc Québécois, are trying to build bridges. Of course, we are working on another national project, but it remains that we feel we have a responsibility and a connection with francophones outside Quebec. We would like to build a stronger sense of solidarity with them, but we also feel we have a duty towards francophones living outside Quebec.
Ms. Rauzon, the first letters of you name are r, a, and u. I have a cousin whom I am very close to. She is my husband's cousin, whose last name is Roson. But the first letters of her surname are r and o. She told me her father was originally from Ontario, but she does not know the other members of her family at all. There is no contact between the two sides and there are practically no Rozons living in Montreal any more. However, it is clear that there is a very real connection.
I will conclude by asking Mr. Pelletier a question about funding. Of course, funding is the cornerstone for all of your groups. Do you receive statutory funding? Are you recognized? You basically do the work of the government. Do you have to fight for funding all the time? Cutbacks are being made. Have you lost a third of your funding? What is the real situation?