Thank you, Speaker-elect. I guess I too lost my language. I used to be able to speak at least three languages. I think it's very important to deal with culture and languages and maintaining a way of life. I know that, as a government, we invest and provide funding to help promote traditional economy because that's one of the best ways to make sure that people can continue to live off the land and it's also one of the best ways to get funding into the small communities.

I know that on the Aboriginal languages, it would be a shame if we would see any one language or more than one disappear. As a government, it's very important for us to work very closely with the people in the communities, with the Aboriginal governments and find ways to maintain and revitalize the language and get more people to speak the language. The best way, of course, is for the youth to speak the language in their homes. I know people, even members of my family, who have taken Aboriginal language training and have been even able to converse in their Aboriginal languages.

We negotiate agreements with the Government of Canada for French language and also Aboriginal languages, and that helps significantly in this area. We, as a government, have taken the approach that the Aboriginal governments and communities are the best way to preserve and maintain the language, so the funding for Aboriginal languages goes directly to the Aboriginal governments.

There are cultural programs that funding is provided for, and it's very important to continue to have Aboriginal culture or maintain our culture, because that's what signals what unique people we are. We need to be able to show that and we need to preserve it. That provides for the pride and dignity of the people. It's a very important responsibility.