Mr. Speaker, the rendez-vous national des régions was a great success, with all of the participants from Quebec's regions giving Quebec Premier Bernard Landry a spontaneous standing ovation.
The meeting provided an opportunity for a productive exchange between the Government of Quebec and Quebec's regions. Even Jean Charest and Mario Dumont, who had been critical of the meeting, agreed with the consensus that was struck.
Real commitments, such as reducing the cost of air travel to and from outlying regions, and even more importantly, creating a standing parliamentary committee on the future of the regions will have a real impact on the development of rural areas.
Hats off to the regional leaders. And congratulations to Premier Bernard Landry. Now let us hope that the federal government will do its share.