Mr. Speaker, we were all very proud to see Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield return safely to earth yesterday from a successful eight-day mission aboard the space shuttle Atlantis .
This government has made it clear that it is very important to establish spending priorities that meet the needs of Canadians. Would the Secretary of State for Science, Research and Development please tell this House what exactly are the benefits Canadians receive from space flights like the one Chris Hadfield returned from yesterday?