Thank you, Madam.
What was said with respect to the welcome extended by the Franco-Manitoban community of Canada to Mr. Diouf still stands. And in that regard, I'd like to refer you to a copy of a letter that Mr. Diouf sent to me where he mentions that on the occasion of his visit to Canada he was touched by the kind words I had to say about him. The Secretary General of the Francophonie mentioned on several occasions that he felt he had been well received by the community in Manitoba, welcomed by our government and that he wanted to turn the page.
That being said, Madam, I'd like to add that according to the protocol used by the previous government as well as ours, there was no breach when Mr. Diouf arrived in Canada. There was an unfortunate incident, everyone agrees, for which we expressed our regret.
I'd like to say that from 1998 to 2005, Mr. Diouf came to Canada seven times. On no occasion was there a Liberal government member there to greet him at the airport. Our government expressed regret for the incident that arose with Mr. Diouf. The Minister for Official Languages did the same thing. Mr. Harper, the Prime Minister, had a conversation with Mr. Diouf, and the matter is closed, as stated by Mr. Diouf himself.