Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Ms. Kenny, thank you, as well, for your dedication to the rights of francophones in minority language communities and your efforts to stand up for those rights.
More and more, French-speaking Canadians in minority language communities are being threatened by a policy of assimilation through attrition. Year after year, the government's support of the Official Languages Act declines. Take, for example, institutions that benefit and support francophones in minority language communities, institutions like Radio-Canada. We're seeing a disturbing trend: minority language rights are under attack. In Radio-Canada's case, that attack didn't just start today. Regardless of whether the Liberals or the Conservatives were in power, it has been going on for years, if not decades, and it's still happening.
We introduced a motion on the issue. Committee decisions, however, are made in camera. Important testimony on the effects of budget cuts is generally censored in committee reports. And I don't mean just cuts at Radio-Canada. The francophone significant benefit program, the co-operative development initiative and other programs have also been the target of budget cuts. When relevant content is omitted from committee reports, how can we possibly advance the rights of francophones in minority language communities? It's a sad state of affairs, and we hope to, one day, get out of the mire.
The 2005 decision in Desrochers v. Canada (Industry), related to section 25 of the act, offers a glimmer of hope. The court established that the government had a duty to provide services of equal quality in both official languages. It's time for the government to start meeting its obligations to francophone minority communities. We hope the government will respect its obligations under the Official Languages Act.
Now, for my questions.
We were under the impression that a plan for francophone immigration existed. Listening to you, I gather that no such plan exists or that, if there is one, it's not doing what it needs to. Could you clarify whether a plan does indeed exist? And if so, where does it fall short, implementation-wise?