Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Before I begin, I want to thank the witnesses for being here with us today.
The committee decided to do a study on the economic situation of official language minority communities. This topic is even more important because the people we have met in these communities have asked us to examine that question. More than ever, those people are asking for solutions to the economic problems their communities grapple with. Indeed, official language minority communities very often have economic problems. So there are good reasons to work together to help those communities.
My first question will be addressed to the cooperative representatives.
In 2012, the Conservative government abolished the Co-operative Development Initiative. What do you think was the main effect of that on the cooperative sector overall in Canada, and on official language minority communities, more particularly in western Canada?