Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I too would like to thank the minister, the deputy minister, the senior assistant deputy minister and the chief financial officer for joining us.
I have several questions to ask, of course. Ten minutes go by very quickly, so I'll ask my questions quickly and would like quick answers. We can follow up in writing, if necessary.
You talked about the issues of innovation, diversification and conservation protection, and rightly so. You noted that Canada is internationally recognized for its sustainable fisheries. However, the budget proposes cuts to the Maurice Lamontagne Institute, which means cuts are being made in the science sector. I remember in 2015, we welcomed the supplementary budgets because cuts had been made, and now we're going through budget cuts once more.
I wonder what motivates these cuts, especially since you prioritized what I talked about earlier.