Mr. Speaker, this shows how truth holds no interest for the Bloc Quebecois. Unfortunately, figures were quoted today. They reflected the interpretation and the perception of the Bloc Quebecois of democracy in Quebec compared to democracy in the rest of the world. It is deplorable to see the Bloc Quebecois refusing to accept the reality of the figures that I have here.
Having said that, I regret that the Bloc Quebecois did not establish a consistent policy on francophones outside Quebec. Where we the separatist forces, a few years ago, when francophones outside Quebec asked for their support on several issues? Unfortunately, they did not get an enthusiastic response.
I know we are pressed for time, but I urge our listeners to examine carefully and understand the data from Statistics Canada. We know very well that the number of francophones outside Quebec has gone up by 50,000 between 1971 and 1991. This fact has been confirmed by Statistics Canada, an agency the Bloc is fond of quoting.
Time flies, but let me say that if we were to examine the data on and the level of success of Canadian bilingualism, which we owe to Pierre Elliott Trudeau, I could tell you this: If we stay the course, like we say in my riding, I am convinced the percentage of young Canadians who use French outside Quebec will increase from 22.6
per cent to 50 per cent in the next 20 to 30 years. It augurs well for the future of the French language, and the future of Canada.