Madam Speaker, with respect, I think the member for South Shore is somewhat confused about the motion. Frankly I am not surprised because I was as confused earlier as many other members of the House.
When I asked the member for Calgary—Nose Hill earlier in this debate whether she would cut HRDC she responded by saying no and indicating that there were other elements in the federal budget under grants and contributions that should be cut. She acknowledged that some of the work was of real benefit to Canadians as they make the transition into the workforce.
I would like to point out what would really be cuts in grants and contributions if we accepted the Reform Party motion. They would cut $900 million for the Canada Foundation for Innovation. They would cut $900 million for 2,000 research chairs in our universities so we can have the best and brightest in Canada and prepare Canadians for the economy of the future. They would also cut $160 million to Genome Canada, a biotechnology institution that is on the leading edge of research in this area. They would also cut $700 million for environmental improvements so that we could have cleaner air and cleaner water and could prepare ourselves to reduce greenhouse gases.
I think the member for South Shore, knowing this, would realize that there would be significant cuts in some very desirable programs. Maybe he would like to reflect on this in his answer.