Evidence of meeting #30 for Finance in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was nurses.
10 a.m.
President, Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities
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.
10 a.m.
President, Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities
We get it back anyway.
10 a.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Regina Airport Authority
Any and all tax cuts are welcome, because they make us more competitive, provided the government also cuts its operations and payrolls accordingly.
10 a.m.
Liberal
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?
10:05 a.m.
President, Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities
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.
10:05 a.m.
Liberal
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?
10:05 a.m.
Conservative
10:05 a.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, North West Regional College, Council of CEOs of Saskatchewan's Regional Colleges
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.
10:05 a.m.
Conservative
10:05 a.m.
Bloc
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?
10:05 a.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Regina Airport Authority
In Regina, it is $115,000. Four weeks rent is $250,000.
10:05 a.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Regina Airport Authority
Rent I cannot bill for because it is prohibited.
10:05 a.m.
Bloc
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?
10:05 a.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Regina Airport Authority
We have a $10 billion budget.
10:05 a.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Regina Airport Authority
It is not much. It represents three people's jobs.
10:05 a.m.
Bloc
Thierry St-Cyr Bloc Jeanne-Le Ber, QC
The $115,000 of rent represents how much of your expenditures?
October 5th, 2006 / 10:05 a.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Regina Airport Authority
The amount is calculated out of $10 billion.
10:05 a.m.
Bloc
Thierry St-Cyr Bloc Jeanne-Le Ber, QC
Ten billion dollars. Rent is still a very small expense in comparison with...
10:05 a.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Regina Airport Authority
But it increases, because the formula changes from year to year. The amount will be much higher in the future.
10:05 a.m.
Bloc
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?
10:05 a.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Regina Airport Authority
It includes jobs, direct and indirect budgets, and also the money in the economy.
