Madam Speaker, we can debate the numbers all day long. It seems to me that the hon. member might be pulling numbers out of the air.
We do rank first in the G7 and second after Sweden among the 30 OECD countries in terms of higher education R and D expenditures as a percentage of GDP. As I noted, our per capita spending on the stimulus package as it relates to S and T is actually higher than the United States for this year.
Of note, in regard to the three granting councils, they received successive increases of $40 million per year, $85 million per year and $80 million per year in the budgets of 2006, 2007 and 2008 respectively. As I noted earlier, these increases were cumulative, ongoing and permanent.
I trust that my remarks have helped to reinforce this government's ongoing communication of our S and T strategy.