Official Languages committee  First of all, we do of course want Ontario's share to be increased. Second, whether it is increased or not, the next action plan must calculate inflation for the programs referred to as community programming initiatives, and must focus on planning. If the approach is fragmented, there will be no continuity and there will be poor investments.

Official Languages committee  We want the action plan to continue to provide multi-year funding for community activities. For our part, we know we have to be accountable. We are not there yet, but we are working on a comprehensive overview. Within the next six months, we will be able to tell you who is doing what in each community in Ontario, how it contributes to the objectives of the strategic plan, and how it lines up with government objectives.

Official Languages committee  Absolutely.

Official Languages committee  They must be told that it is possible to live in French in all parts of Canada.

Official Languages committee  I understand and I am not taking anything away from that.

Official Languages committee  Yes. If you connect that with immigration, something happened. It was in the roadmap at one point. Then it was transferred to what is now Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, or IRCC, and the community was no longer able to trace this funding. The funding freeze resulted in a decrease in our activities.

Official Languages committee  Yes.

Official Languages committee  Can I tell you how happy I am that you asked that question? That is one of the new frontiers for francophones communities in Ontario, as far as I am concerned. Early childhood is the key. Under section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, we gained the right to education and school governance, but there is still another issue.

Official Languages committee  I certainly subscribe to the commissioner's recommendation. We have to invest in our communities. For the smaller communities, we will likely have to support the school boards through the schools. I know there is shared federal-provincial jurisdiction here. We have to find ways, through the OLEP and other programs, to create spaces in French for children, starting in early childhood.

Official Languages committee  He is the public servant, and I am the politician, if you will.

Official Languages committee  I agree. I was going to address the second topic, but it will save...

Official Languages committee  I will skip that and I can talk about it later.

Official Languages committee  I will tell you something I heard, and Mr. Boissonnault will remember it. During the consultation in Waterloo, two new colleagues, Ms. Bardish Chagger and Mr. Raj Saini, made a presentation in French, to their enormous credit and to my great surprise. They said that they had not been told about the importance of linguistic duality when they arrived in Canada.

Official Languages committee  The fact remains that when I hear two people like Ms. Chagger and Mr. Saini—was that it, Mr. Boissonnault?

Official Languages committee  Okay. These immigrants said we should promote the official languages more to immigrants when they arrive in Canada. They want to be told about French and that French is spoken not only in Quebec. That is my testimony. Do these people contribute to the economy? Yes.