Mr. Chair, I worked with the father of the hon. member in this place. He was a fine man and great parliamentarian, and the hon. member has big shoes, or big Birkenstocks, to fill.
On the question, this was a commitment made by the previous government. Under the new government-owned contractor-operated model, AECL is now responsible to meet its mandate and objectives for the Canadian nuclear laboratories.
The funding of $232.8 million has been provided to manage Canada's radioactive waste and decommissioning, provide nuclear expertise to support federal responsibilities, and offer services to users of the Canadian nuclear laboratories on commercial terms established previously. It is a significant sum, and I appreciate the member's question.