In answer to your question, yes, our budget was a very important step towards a stronger Canadian economy. We decided to reduce the income tax for the companies from 21% to 19% by 2010.
Also, concerning my own portfolio, the science and research portfolio, in this budget we provide additional funding for scientific research and technological development.
For example, we put in this budget $40 million per year for the indirect costs of research programs; another $20 million per year for the leaders opportunity fund of the Canada Foundation for Innovation; another $17 million per year into the Canadian Institutes of Health Research; another $17 million per year for the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada; and another $6 million per year for the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
All these new funds follow a discussion that I personally had with members of the scientific community and the business community in Canada. What they told us at the beginning of February and March is that it's very important fundamental research in Canada and it's in line with our values. We think R and D and experimental research are important to the development of a strong country, so we want to be in line with the other countries all across the world. That's why I'm proud of what this budget delivered.
Also, last week I was in Edmonton and in Vancouver, where we had a round table with business people and members of the scientific community and researchers. They all told us that this budget was very good and was a big step for bigger and smarter research in Canada.
From this expert panel report, as we said in the budget--it's a very important piece in the budget--my colleague Finance Minister Flaherty and I are in charge of building a strategy for science and investment, and we're going to deliver that before the end of this year. That's why I did some consultation and I'm going to do consultation during the summer, to make sure that we have a strong strategy for science and technology all across the country.