Mr. Speaker, I respect my hon. colleague, but I certainly do not respect his thoughts on science and what the government has cut.
The fact is that in the last budget, the government cut $1.3 million from the National Research Council of Canada, and by 2014-15, it is projected to be cut by $16.3 million. The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada has lost $15 million, and by the end of 2014-2015 it will be $30 million.
Fisheries and Oceans needs more money. It is an important industry across the country on both coasts and in our lakes and rivers. It was cut last year by $3.8 million and is projected to be cut by about $80 million. Is that what the government calls taking care of an industry? In my opinion, that is destroying an industry.
The government is just concerned that it will receive information from the scientists that it does not want to receive.
My hon. colleague is not a scientist, and neither am I, but I would rely on the scientists, not on my hon. colleague.