Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I'd like to make a slight detour before getting to today's topic, immigration.
You may know that Senator Chaput introduced a bill that had already been tabled four times. It was Bill S-209. One of the issues in this bill is to ensure that, under Part IV of the Official Languages Act, the services provided by the federal offices are consistent with the vitality of the communities.
Unfortunately, the percentage of francophones in absolute numbers is decreasing over time. For example, in 2006, 4.2% of the population outside Quebec was francophone, while it was 4% in 2011. I don't know what the percentage is now, but it is constantly decreasing. The percentage needs to reach 5% for these services to be offered.
To preserve the vitality of these communities, people need to be able to continue using their language every day. So it would be appropriate for the legislation to evolve. However, the percentage continues to decline. In other words, we need that immigration. The senator explained that, without immigration, we won't succeed.
You talked a bit about that, but could you describe the immigration status in Newfoundland and Labrador again? Is the percentage of francophones stagnant or declining?