The Honourable Mitch Murphy, Minister responsible for Francophone Affairs, insists the planning for the Province's participation in the 1999 Francophone Summit is well underway. "The member from Evangeline-Miscouche is obviously not up to speed on this file," stated Minister Murphy. "His recent statements to the media indicate that he has not been paying attention to the efforts of the government and the Acadian and Francophone community. The Province has had people working on summit initiatives since Moncton was confirmed as the host city at Hanoi in November of 1997. The director of Francophone Affairs, Mr. Donald Desroches, attended the Francophonie in Hanoi to lend our support to the province of New Brunswick to secure the bid."
Minister Murphy notes that since that time the provincial government has pursued and is pursuing several initiatives. The government has been actively pursuing opportunities for Prince Edward Island for a number of months. After coordinating a successful strategic plan in the Acadian and Francophone community, the former director of Francophone Affairs, Claudette Theriault, was doing some coordinating work for the summit. When Madame Theriault left in September to assume her new responsibilities at Veteran's Affairs, Mr. Donald Desroches was appointed to fill the role of summit coordinator on a temporary basis. A permanent coordinator will be hired shortly.
Murphy agreed with Maddix in that there are significant opportunities for the Province as a result of the summit being held close by. "We'll be actively pursuing both economic and cultural development opportunities after we've identified the collective focus of the Acadian and Francophone community and the province in general."
"If the member from Evangeline-Miscouche needs further clarification, I will be happy to provide it to him," stated the Minister.