Thank you very much.
I mentioned the University of Ottawa and Laurentian University in Sudbury. Obviously, those institutions are primarily English-speaking, but still, they have done a lot for the francophone community.
For instance, loads and loads of people have been trained through programs offered at those institutions. One of the greatest achievements of any university is shaping future leaders.
Consider, for example, the one in Moncton. Almost all the leaders in the francophone community are graduates of the Université de Moncton. The same goes for nearly every university. Our future leaders must absolutely get their education in francophone institutions. That is important.
When I was invited to appear on Tout le monde en parle, I saw it as a unique opportunity to convey a message to our brothers and sisters in Quebec. I was reminded of when Denise Bombardier said that there were hardly any Franco-Ontarians left or any Métis, I believe, in Manitoba or anywhere else in the country.
One of the things I pointed out was that there are more Franco-Ontarians, francophones in Ontario, than the entire population of Quebec City. I just wanted to put things in perspective.
Many people were really surprised to hear that. That is the reality. The number of francophones in Ontario is greater than the number of people living in the capital of Quebec, which is the second largest city in the province in terms of population.
As for provincial responsibilities, when I am in court, we argue about legal, provincial and federal responsibilities, but politically speaking, it's more of a moral responsibility.
When a province causes irreparable harm to the linguistic minority, all Canadians are harmed. That is the reality. To say that this can't be done, that it's unacceptable and that it must stop is a moral responsibility. It's important to discuss what the province is going to do to prevent that from happening. That is basically the essence of the responsibility. What is happening in Ontario affects individuals in every part of the country. If decisions made by the provincial government lead to assimilation, then all Canadians are assimilated, and not just Franco-Ontarians.
The worst is yet to come. It's therefore important that intervention happens now. What you mentioned regarding immigration is exactly what needs to be done. It's important to explain to newcomers who arrive with their families that they can live a full life, grow, be happy and offer the very best to their children, all in French. This can happen in Quebec, but also elsewhere throughout the country.