Finance Committee on Oct. 21st, 2010

[Paul Szabo, Liberal, Mississauga South, ON]

Fair enough.

I'll throw it back at you, sir, then, and suggest to you that if you have someone who wants to do a start-up company and they said, “Here's the person I need for our business. Now what's it going to cost me for salary if I have a defined benefit plan, or I just pay total salary, no defined benefit plan?” Will there be a difference in the amount of salary that has to be paid?

You don't know?

You see, that's the problem. You should know that the value of an employee who's coming to work at your business is going to take into account not only the salary but also the benefit plan. And if the benefit plan isn't there, you're going to have to pay higher to attract that same person away from the company that has a defined benefit plan.

So, sir, your answer was flip and wrong. Really.

[Ian Russell]

No.

[Paul Szabo, Liberal, Mississauga South, ON]

We really have to be truthful in this because people who don't have defined benefit plans have a higher level of income on average than those who have defined benefit plans, in the same type of job.

[Ian Russell]

I can tell you C.D. Howe has done a study of this, looking at the comparison between the two, and I'm not convinced that's the case.

[Paul Szabo, Liberal, Mississauga South, ON]

All right. Maybe what I can ask is—

[Ian Russell]

In other words, you're saying that their salaries more than compensate.

[Paul Szabo, Liberal, Mississauga South, ON]

I've asked the same question to the university and the students, talking about post-secondary, saying you need to have dimensions, you need to have numbers.

I've seen the platitudes; I've seen the conclusions without substantive analysis. Where is the source of the information? We have to get equity. But I don't see anything here, and if you want us to do something in a report—and that's for all the people present—you have to provide dimensions, you have to provide facts, you have to provide objective evidence underpinning the recommendations you make. And it's not there.

Let me go on to the arts because I really think the arts need an opportunity to blow their whistle.

Are we finished?

[The Vice-Chair, Liberal, Massimo Pacetti]

I was so enthralled with your question, I forgot to—

[Paul Szabo, Liberal, Mississauga South, ON]

Did you lose track of the time?

[The Vice-Chair, Liberal, Massimo Pacetti]

I lost track of the time.

[Paul Szabo, Liberal, Mississauga South, ON]

I'm sorry about that.

[The Vice-Chair, Liberal, Massimo Pacetti]

You're done.

Thank you, Mr. Szabo.

Mr. Carrier, you have the floor.

[Robert Carrier, Bloc, Alfred-Pellan, QC]

Mr. Chairman, I simply wanted to approach the subject of culture and talk to Ms. Jean who is very familiar with Culture Montréal and its president, Mr. Simon Brault. I worked with him in the past. I worked on his building many years ago.

I am very aware of the major contribution of culture in the economy of the entire country. I would like you to elaborate on the idea behind your recommendation to support the visibility of artists and artistic and cultural creations internationally. Mainly, you are asking that investments in international tours for artists, international exchange projects, artists in residence and training and coproduction be restored and increased.

That may seem like a motherhood statement that is not really convincing. I would like you to convince us a little more strongly about the importance of tours for the visibility of our country and for the good of our economy.

[Anne-Marie Jean]

Indeed, many Montreal and Canadian arts companies travel worldwide. I'm thinking of dance companies and children's theatre companies who are very successful internationally. In order to ensure their survival, they have to generate autonomous income and they also obtain an important part of this by touring internationally. Like other companies that export, they need support to travel and tour in different countries and areas, both in Canada and abroad.

As you know, in the past two years, the cultural community has been subjected to a reduction in certain export support programs. That's why we would like to see this export support restored and even increased since in the past 50 years, through its cultural policies, Canada has greatly stimulated the creation and development of artists of international calibre who open a lot of doors within various territories. Even in terms of cultural diplomacy, we can develop markets. Whether we're talking about our large companies, Édouard Lock, Marie Chouinard, Cirque du Soleil, etc., when all these people tour, business people are very interested in presenting them to their future clients. Therefore, they do participate in the development of other economic sectors. So it's very important to pursue this, especially since our artists are invited to other countries. We must also establish a reciprocity program in order to invite foreign artists to Canada so that international exchanges can continue. Some day, we're going to have trouble touring abroad if we don't maintain well-oiled relationships among these various territories.

[Robert Carrier, Bloc, Alfred-Pellan, QC]

Thank you.

I will use the time I have left. How much time do I have?

[The Vice-Chair, Liberal, Massimo Pacetti]

You have a minute and a half.

[Robert Carrier, Bloc, Alfred-Pellan, QC]

I'd like to use that time for Ms. Trudeau who was not able to make her presentation. I don't come from Vancouver, but I am sensitive to your cause. I think that it would be in our interest to hear you.

[Marie Trudeau]

Thank you.

[Robert Carrier, Bloc, Alfred-Pellan, QC]

I have a minute and a half left.

[Daniel Paillé, Bloc, Hochelaga, QC]

Don't use it all up!

[Marie Trudeau]

I'm very pleased to appear here this morning. I won't make my entire presentation. I work for the Rick Hansen Institute and I'm a member of the board of directors. Major investments have been made in our institute. Our goal in creating the Rick Hansen Institute was also to pursue the work undertaken by Rick Hansen.

Our institute examines mostly best practices. To do that, we've developed a rather unique register worldwide to help people with spinal cord injuries across the country. This register lists all paraplegics and quadriplegics across the country. This is for the entire country. Centres of expertise send information about spinal cord injuries to a national data centre. We even hope that this will soon be an international data centre which will include China, Israel and the United States.

I support this cause and I'm asking you to continue to be our financial partners, for the well-being of individuals with spinal cord injuries.

[The Vice-Chair, Liberal, Massimo Pacetti]

I'll give you 33 seconds. I'm sorry.

[Marie Trudeau]

When a spinal cord injury occurs, the consequences are catastrophic. People suffer and their families suffer. This is both physical as well as emotional, social and economic.

Resources indicate that health care in Canada for individuals with spinal cord injuries—those who are newly injured or those who are already in that situation—apparently represent a total cost of $3.5 billion a year. So if we can reduce the risk of paralysis, which is Rick Hansen's dream—a world where someone can walk even after a spinal cord injury—that will also reduce hospitalization costs and its consequences. Because at all levels, the consequences are major when you have a spinal cord injury.

We have achieved progress, both with the register, and with an interesting program—

[The Vice-Chair, Liberal, Massimo Pacetti]

I will leave you with that thought.

It's Ms. Block's turn.

[Marie Trudeau]

Thank you.