Thank you.
Ms. Martin-Laforge, you were right to talk about the Thetford area, which is 45 minutes away from my riding. I know a lot of people from my area who have English-speaking families and who were fortunate enough to go to elementary and secondary schools in the Thetford area. That was a real benefit for them.
Today, people from those communities are English teachers in our francophone schools. Some are also farm machinery representatives serving large areas. Since they were relatively good or very good in English, they could easily do their post-secondary training in other provinces, or even in some U.S. states, and then pass on their training to the francophones in Quebec.
There is no denying it: the international market is predominantly English-speaking. Our region needs young people with a strong command of the English language so that they can impart the knowledge they have acquired in other parts of the world.
Mr. Thompson, I appreciate the fact that you brought this up. Our committee takes careful note of how the training must be structured to keep our young people in their regions. These young people are our wealth and our future.
I am very sensitive to the fact that our young people are learning both official languages. I am the father of five children who are all pursuing post-secondary studies right now. It is very interesting to see the life choices our kids make. It is very important to keep them in our regions. They must have access to the best possible tools that will offer them a better quality of life and improve the community life in our regions.
Thank you for your testimony.
I will now give Ms. St-Denis the chance to speak.