Thank you for coming today, Minister.
I've been around government for about sixteen years now. It has always been my understanding and my experience that the minister in a particular portfolio becomes champion for that portfolio. The minister goes out and consults and pushes forward, trying to get new resources to develop new initiatives and to make sure that ministry is having a positive result in the jurisdiction in which they serve.
I can't for the life of me find anybody who has said that you consulted with them about these cuts, including the provincial ministers, who said they had no consultations with you about the cuts. I would think a minister would want to consider all the good information that's available out there. It just blows me away that, for example, you've cut $3 million out of the budget of the Canadian Policy Research Networks, one of the most respected and well thought of research agencies in the country.
Given that you are to be the champion of social programs and programs under human resources, why is it that your ministry took the biggest cut of all? I believe it was $152.8 million. Why would this be the case if you're the champion of social development and human resources in the country?