Mr. Speaker, the languages that were first heard in Canada are dying and the Conservative government is lending a helping hand.
In the Northwest Territories, the number of aboriginal people fluent in their languages fell from 59% in 1984 to 44% in 2004. The figures are even worse for the rest of Canada. Soon, languages that have been spoken in this country for millennia will be gone.
With a $13 billion surplus, can the minister please explain why the government has cut $160 million from aboriginal language programs?