Yes. I have two comments on that point.
First, you'll find the wording of the federal act at tab 5 of our document. The page numbers are noted at the bottom. On page 20, you'll find the wording of part VII, which—let's tell it like it is—is cancerous to say the least. If you read section 43, at the bottom of the page, what are the current powers of the Minister of Canadian Heritage? The minister isn't required to do anything but nevertheless has powers. What I want to point out is that certain powers were conferred on the Minister of Canadian Heritage under Lucien Bouchard's act. For example, the minister may take measures to "enhance the vitality of the...minority communities," as provided under paragraph 43(1)(a); to "encourage and support the learning of English and French in Canada," under paragraph 43(1)(b); to "encourage and assist provincial governments to support the development of linguistic minority communities," under paragraph 43(1)(d); or to "encourage and assist provincial governments to provide opportunities for everyone in Canada to learn English and French," under paragraph 43(1)(e).
These provisions definitely constitute the legislative foundation on which the Government of Canada may, if it so wishes, exercise its spending power to fund, in whole or in part, the start-up of a Franco-Ontarian university, for example. This was discussed this morning in Le Devoir, for example. That power could also be exercised to fund, in whole or in part, the operation of an office of the commissioner of official languages or an office of the French-language services commissioner. I believe that's already being done in the territories and perhaps even in New Brunswick.
That was my first comment.
Here's my second. Sure, the government may occasionally do something in times of crisis. That's fine, but it's not fantastic. The reworked act should clearly include a revision of part VII. That would be a revision of the federal framework for funding allocated to the provinces for official languages. I'm obviously talking about the federal government here, not the provinces. I'm anticipating the question, or perhaps I'm a bit paranoid, but what I mean to say is that's being done. That's what I'm trying to say, Mrs. Fortier and Mrs. Boucher.
Tab 15 of the document contains a federal statute respecting the most provincial jurisdiction there is, health. Remember the page numbers are at the bottom. The funding criteria appear on page 5. The federal government says it pays out large sums of money in exercising its spending power but requires that certain conditions be met.