Mr. Speaker, this week, as part of health research awareness week, 65 medical centres across Canada and Quebec have launched an information and mobilization campaign on this important issue.
In Canada, public funding in this respect is very clearly insufficient. Since 1985, investments have dropped by 10% in Canada, while they increased by 80% south of the border.
The level of funding currently available to the Medical Research Council of Canada represents only 0.3% of Health Canada's total budget. What researchers are requesting, and rightfully so, from the federal government is 1% of the health budget.
With its indecent budgetary surpluses, it is time the federal government took its responsibilities and handed out more than crumbs to health research—