Good morning, Mr. Chairman.
Five minutes really isn't much time, but I believe it will be enough. This morning, I would like to tell you about some of the achievements of the Francophone health network.
Of the $700 million set aside in the Action Plan, $14 million was allocated for the creation of 17 networks across Canada. These are networks of Francophone professionals, health facility managers and post-secondary training institutions, as well as community members. I would like to begin by saying that four of the 17 networks involved are in Ontario. One of those covers the mid-north region of Ontario. It is located here in Sudbury, and I am the Executive Director.
I want to talk about a very specific issue relating to reform of our health care system in Ontario. In 2004, several months after the networks were set up, one of the most significant health care system reforms to have ever occurred was implemented in Ontario.Yet no provision was made, as part of that reform, for health care services in French. That simply was not part of the plan. But the establishment of the networks allowed the Francophone community and key French-language health care services stakeholders to make their presence known, to find out what was going on and to become a force to be reckoned with, thereby ensuring that our voice would be heard as the reforms moved forward.
At the same time as these reforms were proceeding, one of the networks' projects involved planning the provision of health care services in French across Canada. As part of that project, one of the recommendations for Ontario was that Francophones should be given the responsibility of planning their own health care services in French, the idea being that they would be in a better position to understand their own needs. That was also raised with reference to the Montfort Hospital. So, there was nothing new in this. However, this was the very clear message we wanted to deliver to the Ontario Ministry of Health.
Today, some two years later, we have made tremendous progress. And that progress will contribute to the history of health care services in French. Now health care reform includes the Health System Integration Act. The four Ontario networks have finally succeeded in securing a Francophone planning entity. We are still at the discussion stage, but the fact remains that the four Ontario networks are likely to become planning entities recognized by the Ministry of Health. They will work closely with regional authorities responsible for developing funding plans. They are called local health integration networks, or LHINs. This is a major step forward for health services in French. That would have been impossible had these networks not existed. So, that is a real success story.
This major reform also had another positive effect as regards health care services in French. Thanks to the Health System Integration Act, which started out as Bill 36, a provincial committee composed of members of the Francophone community was created to advise the Ministry of Health. Although it is an advisory committee, because it's set out in the actual legislation, it is quite significant. I think this is one of the greatest advances we have made in the last 20 years as regards health care services in French in Ontario.
Now I haven't mentioned this so far, but I want you to know that for the last 20 years, health care services in French have not been very healthy in Ontario. The French Language Services Act has not yielded the desired results. On the contrary, services are stagnant, and even declining.
Do I still have a minute or 30 seconds left?