Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I am pleased to address my elected colleague from Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Martin Ferron. I am pleased to see you here, Mr. Ferron.
The last budget of the Parliament of Canada proposed $9.6 million in funding over three years to create a centre of excellence for critical battery minerals. At the last committee meeting, I proposed that we recommend that this centre be located in Abitibi-Témiscamingue.
Indeed, we already have the Research Institute of Mines and Environment, a collaboration between the Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, UQAT, and Polytechnique. We also have the Elements08 Strategic Metals Excellence Centre, a collaboration between UQAT, the Cégep de l'Abitibi-Témiscamingue, and the Centre technologique des résidus industriels, or CTRI. In addition, there are mining innovation zones that we hope will be created in the future. We must also take into account the culture of collaboration of local businesses, suppliers, the mining community and expertise.
In short, do you believe that Abitibi-Témiscamingue is the ideal place to host this centre of excellence on critical battery minerals?