Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for pointing out that this is the first time in 43 Parliaments that a federal government has recognized that French is a minority language.
However, one very important fact must be made clear, namely that the Government of Canada is the Government of Quebec's main partner in French integration for immigrants. It is a mistake to say that the Government of Canada only supports English in Quebec. In reality, under the Canada-Quebec accord on immigration, the Government of Canada transfers a large amount of money to the Government of Quebec, which then uses it to teach newcomers French. That makes us a partner and an ally.
It goes without saying that immigrants in Quebec must have opportunities to speak the language. That is why we have this agreement, which has been in place since 1988. That is also why I have had several discussions on these issues with Quebec's immigration minister and the minister responsible for the French language. We must always do more, and it is a challenge to integrate immigrants in French not only in Quebec, but also in the rest of the country.
We know that the issue of francophone immigration is important, as is the demographic weight of francophones. This is why, as minister, I had the opportunity to announce for the first time a francophone minority immigration strategy. One million francophones outside Quebec fight every day to speak French. It is a choice to speak French when you are in a minority.
Our government must therefore be there to support strong institutions, so that these people are able to speak their language, in Ontario or elsewhere, and so that an entire community can maintain its wonderful vitality. The arrival of newcomers who join these minority communities will help achieve this goal. This is why francophone minority immigration is important.
I simply wanted to correct my colleague with kindness and much respect. This was just one example. I could give him another one, involving support for arts and culture and for broadcasting. No one here thinks that Radio-Canada is not important to Quebec. It is one of the largest federal institutions, and we reinvested $675 million in it.