Good morning. My name is Sylvie Boucher, and I am a Conservative MP. I am from the greater Quebec City area, and I represent the riding of Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d'Orléans—Charlevoix.
Under the Harper government, I was the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for la Francophonie and Official Languages and, for nearly four years, Parliamentary Secretary for Status of Women. While I come from Quebec, I have always cared deeply about the French language. The first time I was given responsibilities in connection with official languages, I didn't really understand why. In Quebec, as you know, you don't hear much about francophones outside the province, and I'm not afraid to admit that. When I raised my daughters, I would tell them about all the francophones who lived outside Quebec and were probably struggling with the same challenges we faced, if not bigger ones.
That said, I'm very glad to be back on the Standing Committee on Official Languages. This is a wonderful committee. Having sat on many committees, I can tell you that the members of this committee work very well together since the French language is not defined by any political allegiance. If, however, this morning, the Liberals claim to be the sole defenders of official languages, I may have to say something.
There you have it. I've told you all about me, as instructed.
I listened to you carefully, and I'd like to clear up a few rumours. Is it true that British Columbia does not recognize francophones as a minority language community?