Good morning, Mr. Larouche, Ms. Champagne, Mr. Hubert and Ms. Roy.
I would like to draw your attention to the fact that having been around for some 25 years now, our Committee has come here to meet with you. I am a new member of Parliament; I do not have the experience that the NDP or Liberals have. I don't know how things worked before, but I do want to know certain things, because I have a report to make. We went to see people in Newfoundland and Labrador and Moncton, places that are represented by Mr. D'Amours and Mr. Godin, who are their members of Parliament. We also visited Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Toronto.
One thing attracted my attention in Toronto. You said earlier that you had started on the last page of your report. As Conservatives, we immediately react to a word like “accountability”; that is no secret. So, I certainly support you in that regard. You say in the last sentence of your report that as far as transfers from the federal government to the provincial government are concerned, it is important to specify the exact amounts that are earmarked for official languages.
Now I don't know exactly what went on previously, but it doesn't seem to have worked all that well. So, I would like us to talk about the future and for you to tell me about something that you feel strongly about, such as health care and the ACFO. I would like you to tell us how the federal government can help you. You talked about huge transfers from the federal government to the provincial government. I don't want to talk about issues that are within the provinces' jurisdiction; that is not my role. However, I would like to know, since you are active on the ground, how we could realize what you have in mind. You seem to be intrigued by this, and I am as well. I heard the same thing in Toronto.