Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
The Liberal Party has an official languages caucus which I chair. Our own two priorities have been raised here, this morning.
First, whenever the federal government signs an agreement with provincial governments, an envelope specifically dedicated to minority communities should be established. Without that, we are entirely dependent on the good will of the provinces. We know perfectly well that some provinces are less receptive than others. I would like you to give me your perspective on this.
The francophone envelope for early childhood did have a certain amount of flexibility but that did not last for long. We are often behind, compared to other communities. We need, among other things, daycares. We should be allowed a certain amount of flexibility in order to make up that lag.
In terms of infrastructure, there should be a fund for francophone communities. I'm thinking of, for example, the Saint-Thomas Health Centre, or, where I come from, the Théâtre du Cercle Molière. The federal and provincial governments often invest a million dollars each and then they ask the community to find two or three million more. We represent 4% of the population and we have 20 projects. It's practically impossible to find those funds. In other words, it almost never happens and when it does, it takes 10 years.
What do you think about these two proposals? We could include them in our report and ask the federal government to follow through up on them.