Mr. Speaker, CATA, an organization representing high tech in Canada, appeared recently at the finance committee prebudget hearings and called on the industry minister to delay the start of his billion dollar innovation program. Specifically, it said:
--there are ample grounds at the moment for postponing the launching of the innovation agenda until the budget surplus is in better shape. Increased spending on security is essential, but we believe it can be offset by reduced spending on less important programs.
It is referring to less important programs like the industry minister's innovation agenda. Why will the minister not put the national interest first and listen to the high tech sector which is putting the national interest ahead of its own and delay the start of this billion dollar spending program?