Finance Committee on Oct. 5th, 2006

[David Marit]

From the municipal side, I would just say that we receive 100% of our GST back anyway, so a further cut wouldn't really save us any more money.

[John McCallum, Liberal, Markham—Unionville, ON]

So it might as well be high.

[David Marit]

We get it back anyway.

[Rob Slinger]

Any and all tax cuts are welcome, because they make us more competitive, provided the government also cuts its operations and payrolls accordingly.

[John McCallum, Liberal, Markham—Unionville, ON]

Thank you all very much.

They were slightly more adventuresome in Vancouver, I might say.

I have a question for you, Mr. Marit. It has to do with western economic diversification, and I'd like you to do two things. Perhaps you could say in what way it is important to you. Also, last week or this week, substantial cuts were announced to regional development, including, I assume, western economic diversification. Do you have any information as to whether funding is less available than it might otherwise have been under western economic diversification?

[David Marit]

I don't at this time, but the reason we did comment on it in our brief is that the western diversification fund has been very instrumental in helping to pilot some projects in Saskatchewan. That's why we feel it is important for that program to remain. It has been fundamental for rural development, for many communities that have been trying to build ethanol plants, in going into value-added processing on the agriculture side, and in helping communities to actually grow themselves and to do something. The western diversification fund has been very important to Saskatchewan, and we would definitely like to see it retained or even enhanced.

[John McCallum, Liberal, Markham—Unionville, ON]

Thank you.

Mr. Nylander, as one involved in education longer than politics, I subscribe to virtually everything you have said in terms of the importance of ideas. One of the important things is literacy. Recently there have been some cuts in government support for literacy. Does that have a bearing on your colleges or on your view of the future of this country and the importance of learning?

[The Chair, Conservative, Brian Pallister]

You have about thirty seconds, Mr. Nylander.

[Bryan Nylander]

Yes, the cuts do have an effect, both in the context of what comes to the college system and also to our community partners. Given the context of the issues around the aboriginal community, literacy is a critical matter that faces this province. We have to prepare people to participate. A federal agenda needs to be adopted.

[John McCallum, Liberal, Markham—Unionville, ON]

Thank you very much.

[The Chair, Conservative, Brian Pallister]

Thank you, sir.

Mr. St-Cyr. you have five minutes.

[Thierry St-Cyr, Bloc, Jeanne-Le Ber, QC]

Thank you very much.

Mr. Slinger, how much rent do you currently pay to the federal government?

[Rob Slinger]

In Regina, it is $115,000. Four weeks rent is $250,000.

[Thierry St-Cyr, Bloc, Jeanne-Le Ber, QC]

This amount of $250,000, is for what exactly?

[Rob Slinger]

Rent I cannot bill for because it is prohibited.

[Thierry St-Cyr, Bloc, Jeanne-Le Ber, QC]

Rent you cannot bill for. Okay.

It is $115,000 in Regina. What percentage of your budget does that amount to?

[Rob Slinger]

We have a $10 billion budget.

[Thierry St-Cyr, Bloc, Jeanne-Le Ber, QC]

So it is...

[Rob Slinger]

It is not much. It represents three people's jobs.

[Thierry St-Cyr, Bloc, Jeanne-Le Ber, QC]

The $115,000 of rent represents how much of your expenditures?

[Rob Slinger]

The amount is calculated out of $10 billion.

[Thierry St-Cyr, Bloc, Jeanne-Le Ber, QC]

Ten billion dollars. Rent is still a very small expense in comparison with...

[Rob Slinger]

But it increases, because the formula changes from year to year. The amount will be much higher in the future.

[Thierry St-Cyr, Bloc, Jeanne-Le Ber, QC]

Fine. You mentioned the return on investment, a 35 to 1 ratio. Do you get that number by dividing the generated economic activity by the rent that you pay?

[Rob Slinger]

It includes jobs, direct and indirect budgets, and also the money in the economy.