The francophone significant benefit program we were discussing earlier is a good example of an incentive. The program clearly benefited employers. With the government's somewhat surprising decision to eliminate the program, we have one less tool in our arsenal.
Ontario, unlike other provinces, has very few tools that support immigrant selection. We would welcome any and all incentives. The francophone significant benefit program was one such incentive.
And since we are down an incentive, replacing it would probably be a good idea. That is more or less what we are saying in the joint recommendation. It's good to do something new, and the program's elimination may have been warranted, even though it came as a bit of a surprise. Francophone communities weren't consulted. But other incentives are needed in order to reach the proposed targets, in other words the 4% federal target and our 5% target in Ontario. I'd like to know what strategies and action plans are being put in place to meet those targets. The government has a responsibility to come up with some as well.
Also important is working with the communities, and we've made that very clear in the joint report. Communities have a very clear understanding of their region and their needs. We're talking about incentives, but it's important to engage people in the communities in order to figure out what will work. What will work in St. John's, Newfoundland, may not necessarily work in Labrador City. And the same goes for Ontario. I can assure you that the solution for Sudbury won't be the same as the one for London.
In this vast country of ours, understanding the distinct situation and needs of official language minority communities is essential. And that means involving them in the process. They need to be part of the solution.