Mr. Speaker, the federal government took money away from Canada's francophones to reduce its deficit.
That much is clear, because between 1993, when the Liberals came to office, and the year 2000, the total official language budget of the Department of Canadian Heritage will have been reduced by 40%, which is also the case with its direct contributions to francophone groups in Canada.
Will the Minister of Canadian Heritage give a positive answer to the francophone groups from all over Canada, which have often asked her to raise the amounts set aside for agreements between Canada and French speaking communities?