Thank you very much.
Thank you, Mr. Minister.
I will continue with the line of questioning of Mr. Martin. Foreign Affairs will experience a $70 million budget cut over two years.
Mr. Martin has raised the question of a $1.3 million cut and the cancellation of consultative, research and public information programs on foreign policy. Your are eliminating all the research and information from academics, amongst others. If these programs are cancelled, how will you be able to inform the Canadian public?
You are cutting $4.2 million in the funds for consolidation of Canadian missions abroad. All these missions need more people and not less. You were talking about emerging countries like China, India, Brazil, and Russia. What are you going to do in these countries? How many consular offices do you plan on opening in these countries and elsewhere in the world?
Third, Mr. Martin also mentioned public diplomacy. Mr. Minister, public diplomacy includes cultural and educational events to make our culture better know and enhance our image abroad. The example that comes to mind is the cultural centre in Paris. Next year's budget for public diplomacy in Paris is nil. There will be no funds at all for culture in Paris. This is a disgrace.
Finally, you are wiping out the international internships for young Canadians program, a program with a $10.2 million budget. In this era of globalization and in a multi-ethnic country such as Canada, international internships are crucial if we are to meet the need of young Canadians who are our future leaders. What will happen now? What are we going to do with young Canadians, now that the Canadian government does not want to send them abroad for their education?
Thank you.