Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Supreme Court of Canada agreed to hear the case of the parents of Summerside, who are trying to obtain a French school in their region under section 23 of the charter of rights and freedoms.
Right now, the children of Summerside are obliged to spend an hour on the bus to get to school in the Évangéline region.
This case reveals once again the courage and tenacity of francophones, who, surrounded by an anglophone majority in Canada, are forced to fight provincial governments to be able to exercise their most fundamental right to education.
The Minister of Canadian Heritage should recognize their strength and give them real support. She should substantially increase support to francophone groups across Canada and give effect to the commitment made in this House to increase the budget for the court challenges program.
The Bloc Quebecois recognizes the work done by all parents in all the primarily anglophone provinces who are struggling for their children's rights—