Liberal Citizenship and Immigration Critic Raymonde Folco today called on the Conservative government to deliver the funding required to foster greater immigration for minority Francophone communities.

"I support any initiative to promote greater integration, recruitment and retention of immigrants in Francophone communities outside Quebec, especially one that so closely resembles a Liberal plan,” Mme Folco said. “Now what’s necessary is for the Harper government to provide the funds necessary to ensure the plan works."

The Conservative government's Strategic Plan to Foster Immigration to Francophone Minority Communities, which was announced on September 11, 2006, pursues the same objectives as the Strategic Framework developed and implemented by the Liberal government in November 2003. That framework identified promoting immigration to Francophone communities across Canada as a priority, and was supported with an allocation of $9 million over five years to allow the development of pilot projects with various community partnerships.

The former Liberal government provided $22 million to increase childcare spaces for minority language communities living outside Quebec. The former Liberal government also signed federal-provincial immigration agreements with Manitoba and Saskatchewan, to assist the development of minority official language communities.

"If this government truly values bilingualism and the strength of Francophone communities in this country it will put its money where its mouth is," said Mme. Folco.