Finance committee  I think you are talking about Bill C-470. Canadian universities say unanimously that this bill should not apply to universities. Universities have staff and top researchers who sometimes make more than $250,000. We are making representations to the four political parties so that

Finance committee  I'll take a stab at this. Part of this is a federal-provincial issue. By and large, undergraduate education and the education part of the university role is really part of a provincial jurisdiction. We could talk about tuition policy, and we talk about it a lot in Quebec, about

Finance committee  Mr. Chairman, members of the committee, my name is Vaughan Dowie. I'm the executive head of public affairs at McGill. I'm with Sandra Crocker, who's the assistant vice-principal for research at McGill. You have our brief. I won't repeat everything that's in it. I just want to h

Finance committee  This is not a request for McGill; this is a request for a program from the Government of Canada. The example we use right now is the Canada-California...what we call CCSIP. There is a certain amount of seed money that the Government of Canada has put on the table to develop relat

Finance committee  --expand that program so those initiatives can be seeded; and second, when there are good fits, as there is right now between Canada and California on stem cell research, where money can be put on the table in strategic areas of work for this country.

Finance committee  With respect to stem cell research right now, Canada has put $100 million on the table to work between Canada and California in this area. The costs would very much depend. We haven't costed them because it would very much depend on the strategic choices that Canada makes. Say C

Finance committee  Exactly.

Finance committee  No, we're talking about trying to develop research consortiums internationally, where Canada would choose the sectors and the parts of the world it wants to work in. There are, for instance, existing programs, such as ISTP.

Finance committee  Some of it is coming out of Trade and some out of Industry Canada.

Finance committee  That would cover most of it. Right now, we are getting nothing or next to nothing. That would be a step forward. The $60,000 is a guideline. The Vanier doctoral program that was announced a couple of years ago allows doctoral students to receive up to $50,000. So the $60,000 is

Finance committee  I would add that about 20% of our students are from outside Canada, 25% from Canadian provinces other than Quebec, and about 55% from Quebec. It is a meeting place, a crossroads for Canada and the world.

Finance committee  Mr. Chair and members of the committee, I will fly through the other two recommendations. I think you probably have our speaking notes, and I won't repeat what you can already read for yourself. The second recommendation has to do with the support of the federal government for a