Thank you, Mr. Chair.
We have studied this issue to death. I think everything that needs to be said on this subject, on both sides, has been said. I don't think it's a productive use of the committee's time to spend yet another meeting on this issue. I think there are far more productive ways for the committee to spend its time.
Frankly, we do have some serious challenges in this country with respect to linguistic minority rights, with respect to the use of French in this country. The fact is that French is declining as a language in this country, and yet we're focusing on this $2 million or $3 million program, and we've studied it to death.
Frankly, there are a lot more productive ways for the committee to be using its time. If we look back at the time we've spent on this particular program in years hence, I think people are going to look back and say it wasn't a productive use of the committee's time.
It would be far better to take a look at broader issues around bilingualism and how we're going to increase the number of people in this country who are bilingual than spending meeting after meeting discussing this subject. I think that would be a far better use of our time. I don't think we should spend another meeting on this subject.
If I could use an analogy, Rome is burning and we're worried about the silver chalices. We have to move on.