I complimented you in my speech in the House on this bill and the exciting prospects for Canada that the Public Health Agency of Canada represents and the opportunities it presents to do great things.
I had some questions here for you; one of them was about the money. When the population and public health branch was part of Health Canada, it had a budget of about $310 million, and then the allocation for the newly created Public Health Agency of Canada was $430 million in the 2005-06 budget. The main estimates for the current fiscal year list the budget at $506 million. I'm wondering if you can explain first the first jump of $120 million and then another 20% in this year's estimates. I'm wondering if you're changing the mandate at all, or just what is going on that's suggesting a need for these increases? I'm not saying I'm against them; I'd just like to know why.