Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I have to confess that I was deeply disturbed when I heard the news about Laurentian University's cuts. My colleague Paul Lefebvre and I were aware of budgetary concerns. However, they were far beyond what we had imagined, and we certainly did not see this going through the CCA process. It was tough and it hit the heart of Greater Sudbury.
Like many of you, we reacted emotionally. Laurentian is such an important post-secondary institution; it's much more than just bricks and mortar. Laurentian is a community of people who contribute to economic development and to cultural, economic and educational wealth. It's a really hard sense of loss and tragedy for the faculty and students who are pursuing their passions.
Mr. Haché, you mentioned that there was no department for postsecondary education in Ottawa. All proposals have to go through Queen's Park. Based on your experience, can you confirm that the federal government can't grant operating funding to you directly without going through the province?