Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you, gentlemen, for having come and for responding so quickly to our call. We appreciate it, and we know that this is an important time not only for yourselves, but for all Canadians.
Personally, I recognize that hockey is a sport that brings all Canadians together, whether they speak French or English. It is our national sport, and perhaps even more than that. Hockey is one aspect of our national identity. We all recognize this, and it is important to us.
I would like to add that the members of this committee had a long discussion earlier on the pros and cons of inviting you to come here, on the one hand, and the kinds of questions we would ask you, on the other hand.
I would like to remark that the decision to invite you to come here and talk to us this morning was a unanimous decision on the part of all the members present. That includes all the political parties in the House of Commons. I want to make that remark.
I would like to add, also, that this parliamentary committee on official languages, and this particular meeting of the parliamentary committee, is not a Star Chamber. It is not Parliament telling a non-governmental agency or a non-governmental association how to operate. It is not our role to do this. It is not our role to tell Hockey Canada specifically who they should name as captain of Team Canada. It is not our role to do this at all.
Because Sport Canada receives a substantial amount of money from the Canadian government, and I know last year alone you received $3.2 million--that's a substantial amount of money--it is our role as a government, as a Parliament, to ask you how this money is spent as an oversight by the government, and how you come to certain decisions. This is well within our role to ask you. This is what I would like to say in the beginning.
The recent controversy over Mr. Shane Doan--we are all very much aware of it. We are not a tribunal; it is not in our power. It is not our intention. We are a standing committee of Parliament.
But I would nonetheless like to ask you a question. I am delighted that your presentation is in both official languages. I thank you for that.
How many French speakers make up Team Canada? Can you tell me how team members are chosen, as well as how the captain of Team Canada is chosen?
It is a basic question which will allow us to then continue this discussion.
Thank you.