Official Languages committee  We definitely are. One person in particular, the coordinator of the Quebec Literacy Working Group, has spent her whole life in literacy. As of this week, her job expires and she has nothing. She has so much valued experience that she cannot be replaced. We can't expect her to wait until funding comes through.

Official Languages committee  Yes. We completely serve the whole province through all of the school boards and all of the literacy councils. We have members who are from the Gaspé, from Hull, from the north shore. We have members who participate in the Quebec English Literacy Alliance throughout the province, which is why it would be so difficult, if funding were cut, for us to serve.

Official Languages committee  The National Literacy Secretariat no longer exists.

Official Languages committee  A different name? Right now, they're trying to catch up with all of the information that's coming, and they're trying to teach the new minister coming in—“teach”; that's my teacher coming in. They're trying to make him familiar with the whole dossier. Because of all of that, everything keeps coming to a dead halt.

Official Languages committee  Yes, you did. They're unfortunate statistics that are hard to swallow, but that is the truth, that 49% have literacy problems. There are different levels of literacy problems, but 49% of our population today has problems. I don't know if you've read or heard of any of the statistics that just came out last week by the president of the Canadian Council on Learning.

Official Languages committee  But 39% to 40%, which is one out of four, if you think of it, is the number of people who have absolutely no literacy skills, up to grade nine. Up to grade nine is not really efficient enough to be able to get a job, maintain it, teach your children, do all the things you need to do.

Official Languages committee  Thank you. Mr. Lauzon, members of the committee, thank you for having me here this morning. I represent the Quebec English Literacy Alliance, founded in 1997. The Quebec English Literacy Alliance is a coalition of English literacy service providers. I represent 300 active tutors and teachers from all corners of Quebec.