Mr. Speaker, tomorrow, March 20, we will celebrate la Journée internationale de la Francophonie.
To belong to the Francophonie is to be part of a rich geopolitical group of 500 million people in 49 countries and governments with French as a common language.
It is absolutely vital for Quebec to belong to the Francophonie, since our proximity to the American giant is a reminder that our culture, although rich and vibrant, is always at risk.
The defence of Quebec culture is the responsibility of the people of Quebec and not the federal government, which does not recognize it and tries in every way possible to bring it under the maple leaf.
I invite every Quebecker and all the francophones of the world to join in the festivities marking the Journée internationale de la Francophonie to celebrate their membership in this vast global community based on the use of the most beautiful language in the world, French.