Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
First, I'd like to offer my sincere condolences to the members of this committee on the passing of former minister Jim Carr. I had the opportunity to work closely with him when he was Minister of Natural Resources. I had a lot of respect for him. He was a man who demanded a lot from the public service, but who also gave a lot in return. So I offer my sincere condolences to you, dear parliamentarians, who worked closely with him. This is a great loss.
My name is Julie Boyer, assistant deputy minister of Official Languages, Heritage and Regions at the Department of Canadian Heritage.
The Official Languages Branch is responsible for the development of strategic policies for official languages, including project to modernize the Official Languages Act and the development of the five-year action plan for official languages in Canada. We also manage the transfer payment agreements for the provinces and territories regarding the provision of services and education in official languages.
With me today are two of my colleagues from the Official Languages Branch. I'll let them introduce themselves.
I'd then ask Mr. Desruisseaux and Mr. Quell, from the Department of Citizenship and Immigration and the Treasury Board Secretariat, respectively, to introduce themselves.