Ladies and gentlemen, I am very happy to see you here this morning. The crucial thing here is official languages, and we have to look to the future. Demographic changes in Canada are undoubtedly creating new needs. I have a question on that, but before I put it to you I would like to make a comment.
Earlier, Mr. Lamoureux talked about a link between the government and the funding paid. In Quebec, I was vice-president of the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean Health and Social Services Agency. I am therefore well aware that funding is allocated to health before it moves on to the association network in a given region. That is part of the regional strategic planning process. All departments are accountable to every region. I don't want people to think that associations in Quebec receive funding without being accountable for it. That is not how things work. That is not how things work at the federal level either, and that is how it should be. Accountability is not an issue for you, nor is it for us. We are here to be properly accountable.
Given the geography of the provinces, specialized health care often has to be sought elsewhere. That is not just because of language. In Lac-Saint-Jean, we have our children treated at the Sainte-Justine Children's Hospital in Montreal, which is 500 km away from where I live but I have no choice but to take them there. In your province, New Brunswick, there are also language-related and geographical realities that need to be taken into account. That said, demographic movements undoubtedly lead to a need for new services. I don't think that this is a public relations issue.
The present government takes official languages very seriously. We want to move forward. That billion dollars will be defined—but now what it expresses is a willingness to recognize needs engendered by such factors as new arrivals and an aging population. Earlier, we heard that needs were increasing. Are new organizations or associations knocking at your door? Are new organizations being created? Are existing organizations closing? What impact are these new arrivals having in your area? I understand that the organizations all want more funding.