Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I would like to thank Minister Blaney, Mr. Coulombe, Mr. Guimont and Mr. Paulson for being here today.
I think it is very important that we discuss these questions here in committee today. We really appreciate you being here to do that. If you don't mind, I would like to ask some budget-related questions. I want to talk about cuts to public safety budgets and terrorist attacks in Canada.
Minister, you talked about public safety cuts that would not affect services. However, when I look at the numbers, from the 2012 budget in particular, I can see that $143 million was cut from the Canada Border Services Agency. A total of 100 positions were cut from the immigration intelligence branch. That is the branch that monitors terrorist activities and transmits information to our international partners.
What is happening there? Will money be put back into that branch so that people can be hired back? How will we be able to apply the principles in the UN resolution, in addition to what you have presented today, with those kinds of cuts to public safety?