Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I would simply like to clarify one thing. The Minister of Canadian Heritage did not say that bilingualism was dividing Canada; rather, he said that your bill, Mr. Godin, was dividing Canada. There is a very big difference.
Even though I missed their presentation, I have some questions for the witnesses representing the Metropolis Project. In March, Metropolis held a national conference on immigration and a pre-conference session on the specificities of Francophone immigration in Canada, which was intended to be a stock-taking exercise and an opportunity to determine exactly what the current situation is.
In fact, I would like to commend you for organizing it. This format allowed for extensive exchanges of views between stakeholders from different communities. We have already had some feedback. It was appreciated. Part of the pre-conference session took the form of a forum involving pre-determined questions, including this one: what policy and program changes would improve the community's ability to engage in partnerships which meet the ever-evolving needs of users, who are increasingly diversified? What is the role of non-government organizations when it comes to attracting, integrating and retaining French-speaking newcomers to Canada?
I would like to know what came of the forum, particularly with respect to that issue, and whether other important points were raised on that occasion. Perhaps you could tell us about that.