The year 2007 is drawing to a close, and no new money has been forthcoming. You said that there has been an increase, but in the same breath you talk about reductions. You talked about the vaccine strategy. The funds allocated to this initiative are not supposed to come from the budget. This is a strategy to respond to the immediate needs of people living with HIV-AIDS. The research on the vaccine is for the future. You are aware of a failure regarding Merck Frosst. You will be taking this $23 million from this budget. Accordingly, we cannot really talk about an immediate increase for the people afflicted with the disease.
Earlier it was said that there were 85,000 cases of HIV-AIDS. So we have to take action for the here and now, while at the same time thinking of the future. You announced new funding. You are bragging about this, but there really is no new funding. This funding had been allocated. With respect to the HIV-AIDS strategy, we can see that there has been an increase in cases. You are unable to meet the expectations in the field. Organizations are overworked. Some are even thinking about shutting down because they did not receive the required money. The need is there, the demand is there, but the money is not forthcoming with respect to what was announced in this strategy. There may be an additional $40 million, but what about the support program? You said that the money had been allocated to Quebec. The money was allocated, but in two phases. There was $100,000 for 23 organizations. In 2007, this was refused. I know how you are going to answer me.
Over the years, there has been an increase from $9 million to $10 million, if I understand correctly, for the 40 million additional dollars. This money never reached the organizations that look after people living with HIV-AIDS. And this is not the case just in Quebec. I have been told that there are some provinces, in the rest of Canada, that feel abandoned because of inadequate support.