Mr. Speaker, this week is the Semaine nationale de la Francophonie, which provides francophones all over the world an opportunity to stop and think of the role played by the French language in the development of our communities. This week-long event aimed at making this international forum know will allow us this year to emphasize the key role of Quebec within la Francophonie in North America.
I wish this week will also be a time to develop a certain level of open-mindedness with regard to Quebec's linguistic specificity, reinforce ties between francophones in America and elsewhere, and bridge gaps between linguistic communities in Canada.
I certainly hope that la Francophonie will be celebrated in the workplace, schools and businesses, and by all Quebeckers.
I call upon my colleagues from across Canada to practice this year's theme, which is: "En français, bien sûr", or "In French, of course".