Madam Speaker, the government continues to use the $5.1 billion figure as the amount it has invested in science and research. I think that it is really a game of charades and a house of cards.
The funding commitments that the government cites to support this are not dedicated toward actual research projects, nor will the money necessarily even go toward infrastructure to create such projects. The Conservatives have barely maintained federal funding for science and technology research projects. Canada's three granting councils are undergoing $148 million in cuts.
According to Statistics Canada, the total federal funding for science and technology in 2008 was $365 million less than in 2005 when adjusted for inflation. Universities have borne the brunt of a drop in funding. When adjusted for inflation, federal funding for university research in 2008 was $187 million less than in 2005.
I think that demonstrates that it is not the government's priority to invest in science and technology. As a result, we are falling behind our international competitors when it comes to research and innovation. In terms of investing in research and development, U.S. stimulus allocated six times more funding per capita.