The reality is that you suffered a huge budget cut here. In the science area, you're dropping from a scientist to a science technician. Fine, but you're certainly not going to be able to carry on the functions that you've carried on before.
Let me direct my second question to Mr. Forbes. The commissioner says that overall trends in Canada's major ecosystems are deteriorating. Our forest varies from healthy to requiring concern and deteriorating. Our lakes and rivers require concern and are deteriorating. Our wetlands require concern and they're deteriorating. Our marine ecosystems are healthy and are improving in some areas, but are impaired and deteriorating in others. Our coastal ecosystems, while healthy in some areas, are impaired in others and deteriorating across the board. It goes on and on.
It paints a pretty unhappy picture. Your budget has been flatlining for six years. You're just under $1 billion. It's not as if the stress on the ecosystems across the board is diminishing; it's increasing by virtue of population, by virtue of greenhouse gas emissions, etc.
Ironically, throughout the report, you agree with virtually every observation that the commissioner makes. Again, something has to give here. Either you get budgetary support to do what you need to do, or we all fold our tents and say the environment is at risk.