Thank you, Chair.
I'd like to direct my questions to the Université du Québec. I apologize; I'll be asking my questions in English.
I'd like to talk about a sensitive issue. Removing barriers to equality of opportunity to allow diverse individuals to access federal research funds is a laudable goal. However, the Government of Canada has faced some controversy in Quebec on this front by applying certain eligibility criteria to the allocation of federal research funds within the province.
In late 2022, a history professor at a Quebec research institution filed a human rights complaint against Université Laval and the Canada research chair program alleging discrimination. His argument was that he was qualified for the position of a Canada research chair in history, but his application was not accepted because he's a white male. In response, in December 2022, Quebec's National Assembly passed a motion that expressed a commitment to merit-based hiring on its university campuses and rejected the imposition of racial or gender quotas by the federal government. All of this is related to the Government of Canada's Canada research chair program requirements that universities meet diversity targets in hiring.
I'll ask you if your university believes the federal government should be able to apply these types of requirements to Quebec-based institutions.