Thank you.
I'm the vice-president of research at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto, home of the new Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute.
The 2004 health accord recognized the value of health research and innovation in at least three ways: first, improving the health of Canadians; second, the impact of research on improving the cost-effectiveness of health care services; and third, producing world-class discoveries to leverage economic benefit as well as health gains, as recognized in the government's S and T strategy.
While significant investments in health research have been made by the federal government—for example, CIHR, Canada Research Chairs, and CFI—we must continue to sustain the momentum that has been created so that we can continue to participate in the benefits that come from future world-class research findings. We are on the threshold of a biotechnology revolution, and ACAHO is concerned that any retrenchment in funding would have serious consequences on our ability to attract and retain world-class researchers and to advance discovery and innovation.
Let's not go backwards. We do not want Canada to fall—