Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Ms. Lajoie, Mr. Ouellette, Mr. Paquin, it is a pleasure to have you here.
Firstly, I would like to thank you for believing in community radio. I would also like to congratulate you for the good work that you do. I believe that community radio has a role to play in our communities. Mr. Ouellette, you were right to say that it is the voice of the people. It is not a corporate entity, it belongs to the community. I enjoy listening to community radio when I am in my car in the evening. The volunteers do a good job and their work allows them to learn the tools of the trade. For some, it is a springboard to the next step. Community radio stations participate in community life, particularly in festivals. They also help the private sector through the advertisements that they run for stores.
That being said, the last time you appeared before our committee, you expressed concern about restrictions to the sponsorship program. I recall that the Auditor General said that it was not a matter of putting an end to the program, but, rather, putting an end to abusing the program. This should not affect communities, as they have a need for sponsorship.
Let us now turn back to your presentation. You spoke about millions and millions of dollars. You said that of $71 million only $33 million had been spent, yet you are only asking for $500,000. Is $500,000 enough? What are you going to be able to do with $500,000?