Yes, please. Thank you very much.
Mr. Vats, the report entitled “The State of Science, Technology, and Innovation in Canada 2025”, commissioned by your department, establishes three facts: Canada is going through an innovation crisis; Quebec is one of the few places that continue to have strong scientific performance; and the country is suffering from chronic underinvestment in research.
How do you explain the fact that, despite this finding, there is no federal plan to support Quebec's strengths, which account for a major share of Canadian research, or to correct Canada's structural lag in innovation?
Why are you ignoring what your own report defines as essential to scientific performance in this country?