Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
Thank you to everyone for showing up today.
I have a couple of questions, which I'll direct to Dr. Galbraith from McGill. I want to highlight a couple of points from some of the other witnesses.
The first is on literacy. While I think it is a problem that communities face—it's one in my home province of New Brunswick—I would highlight a point from the Réseau pour le développement de l’alphabétisme et des compétences, which notes, “This is not a phenomenon purely characteristic of the minority community or that affects only francophones.” This is true in New Brunswick. It is true across the country. In fact, I'd even note that the rate in Quebec is the same as it is for Canada as a whole.
Mr. Morrow notes that, for the purpose of the study, we really do need one vision, because it's a strong Canada that helps minority communities across this country. In fact, we've had several previous witnesses who have noticed that in parts of the country where economic growth is strong, the minority communities' participation, wealth creation, and employment levels parallel, if not mirror, those of the majority linguistic community. At the same time, we see the downside. In parts of the country where growth lags, minority communities share those same characteristics as well.
Dr. Galbraith, in some of your answers, you spoke on some of the global issues. Could you talk a bit about what are some of the characteristics that are necessary for growth so that we can envision policies in some of these slower growth areas of the country that would see them catching up to the economically stronger parts of the country? Is it institutions? Is it questions...? Is it resource development? I'd like to get some of your thoughts on those policies or those areas, so that as we look at this question we're not just looking at it from silos, but rather from policies that will benefit the country as a whole, and so that as one group is lifted up, so too are all groups in the immediate surrounding area.
Thank you.