Industry Committee on March 6th, 2008

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

I look at this, and you reference the S and T strategy, which I think you said overall is a very good document. It looked at the Office of the National Science Advisor, which, as you admit, was not funded properly from the start. So it took your office, combined it with the Council of Science and Technology Advisors and the Canadian Biotechnology Advisory Committee, and put it into the body under Dr. Alper.

You and I may say we'd love to have Dr. Carty involved, but the fact is that the government moved forward very deliberately, it seemed to me, and is saying from a program point of view that it's moving forward on issues like granting councils, CFI, and other things. On science policy, it's moving forward with the Council of Canadian Academies, but also the Science, Technology and Innovation Council. It seems to me this is the advisory body.

You mentioned we need a science advisor plus a council, but it seems to me the government is saying the advice was too disparate. We needed to bring it together into one body under Dr. Alper. Now, Dr. Alper is not called a national science advisor, but in essence he is. He will be the person filtering advice from this distinguished body to the Minister of Industry, to the cabinet, to the Prime Minister.

Just following Dr. Carrie's point, you may not agree personally with your situation, but does that not make sense, with Dr. Alper, who I'm sure you would agree is an eminent scientist, filtering science policy advice to the government?

[Dr. Arthur Carty]

I just don't think it's complete. I think the full system is needed here, and that includes a science advisor, not just an advisory council, which is a part-time group of people who will meet and generally study topics given to it by government. The daily advice on science issues--where does that go?

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

You reference some of the topics, technology and others. Can you submit to the committee the reports you presented to the Prime Minister and to cabinet so we can see exactly the advice you provided and how it might be different from this new Science, Technology and Innovation Council?

[Dr. Arthur Carty]

You're thinking of the structure? We provided advice. We completed studies on major science investments, on nanotechnology.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Can we get copies of those?

[Dr. Arthur Carty]

Yes. The structure we had suggested, yes.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Thank you.

Thank you for your time, Dr. Carty and Mr. Dufour.

The meeting is adjourned.