I would first like to point out that the office I hold is very different from the one held by my colleague Mr. Quirion in Quebec. In addition to advising the government, he is responsible for the funding councils and therefore has some authority in respect of the research, the science, and the associated spending.
That is not the case for me. My role is to advise the government. In my first annual report, I advocated science diplomacy everywhere in the francophone countries. I believe that Canada has a golden opportunity, together with Quebec, to be a world leader in this area.
Obviously, we have departments that are responsible for the various aspects of our international relations, but I believe that we are increasingly realizing that we, as a country, are very strong in science and we have to use science in our international relations and everywhere that it can advance the public interest and the interests of...