Thank you, Mr. Chair.
You all know that I am a Franco-Ontarian and proud to be a Franco-Ontarian MP. What we experienced last Saturday is still humming in the hearts of all those who participated in one of the rallies.
We are still hearing about it today. This morning, I spoke with people who said they were surprised but also very happy to see the wave of solidarity throughout the country. It really is incredible. I would like to congratulate all those who came together Saturday and obviously this momentum has to continue.
We are talking about a French-language university, and you have already eloquently explained that it is needed in Ontario. As to the federal government's contribution, we have to make sure that we remind ourselves of the following: we cannot let the provincial governments, especially Ontario, shirk their responsibilities. It's too easy to cut the provinces some slack, especially when it comes to public finances. The federal government has to ensure that its public finances are in order and has a certain responsibility. I think it has shown itself open to working with the Government of Ontario and looking at ways of keeping the project going. I do think however, that we have to keep these considerations in mind.
Mr. Jolin, you did not say much about the elimination of the Ontario Office of the French Language Services Commissioner. I would like to know what your thoughts are. Abandoning the project of the Université de l'Ontario français really is a huge step backward, but so is eliminating the Commissioner's office.
Can you talk to us a bit about that?