Mr. Speaker, I rise to provide some brief remarks on the dissenting opinion put forward by the Conservative Party of Canada, as His Majesty's loyal opposition, on this important study conducted by the science and research committee.
First, I want to acknowledge that this report contains contradicting opinions and recommendations, and our dissenting opinion not only points this out, but also provides the Conservative position on several of the recommendations. In short, our position emphasizes the need for the Government of Canada, its federal research agencies and our academic institutions to return to merit-based research funding and hiring practices. Simply put, merit matters, and decisions based on merit and on the quality of the research topic and the individual researcher doing the work should be paramount.
The report also highlights the decline in viewpoint diversity, as well as the rise and concern of anti-Semitism being spread and fostered in Canadian universities. This report contains and captures excellent witness testimony, and I encourage everyone to review the expressions that were shared with the committee.