Mr. Speaker, need I remind my hon. colleague that the people of the regions, themselves, will confirm my sustained and focussed presence in the regions ever since I was appointed to this position?
Ask the people of Chandler. Ask the people of Saguenay, in the member's region. Ask the people of Rimouski. Ask the people of the Eastern Townships. Ask the people of the Magdalen Islands. I have toured Quebec several times, precisely because I think that one cannot run a department like mine without being in touch with the everyday realities in the field. Be it in Quebec City, in Montreal or in the regions, I have consistently been just as welcome.
We have 14 regional offices, which are involved in all the recovery and revitalization committees wherever they are necessary. We have always shown our support unconditionally for projects from the regions. When I travelled to Saguenay, I had the pleasure of announcing the Aluminum Technologies Centre, which we know will, on the one hand, provide an incentive for young people to stay in the region and, on the other hand, promote the development of businesses for the secondary and tertiary processing of aluminum, among others. The same is being done for lumber.
We are there to provide support. We do not want to shirk our responsibilities by transferring funds without maintaining any control over how they are managed. The Government of Quebec is making the decisions, and that is fine. Therefore, once these funds have borne fruit, we will be there to support the projects that stemmed from them. That is the way in which we want to help. Once again, I am referring to the fact that we are consistent in ensuring the necessary complementarity in our actions.