Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I'm delighted to be here again today.
As you indicated, I am accompanied today by several departmental officials who will be able to help me answer your questions.
I'll just spend a few minutes introducing the colleagues we have with us: the associate deputy minister, Claire Dansereau, whom you've had the opportunity to meet a number of times now; George Da Pont, the Commissioner of the Canadian Coast Guard; Cal Hegge, assistant deputy minister of human resources and corporate services; Mr. Barry Rashotte, who is the acting director general of resource management operations; Ms. Michaela Huard, who is the assistant deputy minister of policy; and Madame Mimi Breton, who is the assistant deputy minister of the oceans, habitat, and species at risk secretariat. This is Madame Breton's first appearance before the committee since she joined us in November of 2007.
Before I ask Mr. Hegge to walk you through the documents we have provided the committee as a brief snapshot of the crosswalk between the estimates and the report on plans and priorities, I would like again to offer assistance to the committee to support your activities as you tour small craft harbours in different parts of the country. I believe your trip has been quite successful to date. If there is anything we can do to support you in your fact-finding activities, do not hesitate to call on us.
Turning to the main estimates, overall this year we're asking Parliament for $143.4 million more than in the 2007-08 main estimates. That would bring our total projected expenditure for the 2008-09 fiscal year to $1.68 billion.
The top three elements that drive this increase are the following. There is $41 million for the integrated commercial fisheries initiatives on both coasts. You will recall that these initiatives are to increase the participation of first nations fish harvesters in integrated commercial fisheries. There is $40.6 million for mid-shore patrol vessels under the coast guard. The renewal of the fleet will, as you can imagine, strengthen our capacity to protect fisheries and enhance maritime security. There is $21.8 million for fisheries science research, directed towards stock assessment and ecosystem-based management.
There is just under $20 million for permanent annual funding to the small craft harbours program. As you know, this offsets what would have been a loss to the program of the same amount because of temporary funding that was about to expire.
We've also set out in our report on plans and priorities the program priorities we have, and we would be quite pleased to speak to those.
I will now ask Mr. Hegge to take us through the financial elements of the estimates and the RPP.
I believe you will have received the document and the presentation that we sent to the committee.
Thank you.