Mr. Speaker, reading from the estimates, we can see that there is a $13 million cut in basic research under Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council. There is a further cut of $2 million to attract and retain faculty. There are cuts in all sorts of areas with respect to science and research.
This is an intensely competitive area in the world. It is an area in which Canada has had an advantage over several years because of what governments have done and because of the fact that the Bush administration was not that interested in science. We are now looking at an Obama administration that is interested in science.
Why is the government cutting back on basic research just at the time when we need to be increasing our competitiveness?