Finance Committee on Oct. 17th, 2006

[Suzanne Brunette]

Yes, we do support the work the Millennium Scholarship Foundation has done.

[Michael Savage, Liberal, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

How much time do I have?

[The Chair, Conservative, Brian Pallister]

You have a minute and a half.

[Michael Savage, Liberal, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

Since we have the principal of Queen's here, I would like to get her view on the millennium scholarship.

[Dr. Karen Hitchcock]

Actually, to give a little plug, Queen's has more millennium scholarships than I think any other university, so I certainly support the program. It's one that allows us also--for highly qualified students, I grant you--to continue to provide access, which is extremely important to us.

[The Chair, Conservative, Brian Pallister]

You're surrounded by self-promoters. Feel at home.

You have a minute.

[Michael Savage, Liberal, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

I have a minute, great.

[The Chair, Conservative, Brian Pallister]

I took some of your time.

[Michael Savage, Liberal, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

I'd like to talk to you about the dedicated transfer that you didn't refer to, but that you did put in your document. I don't think anywhere in your document you talk specifically about access. Is access an issue in your view as well as...?

[Dr. Karen Hitchcock]

It is very much so. The issue of skills development, of workforce training--all of this--in the post-secondary environment is absolutely critical as we go forward. Access becomes, therefore, the underpinning of that, so that we have a diverse, wonderfully vibrant student body. So yes, indeed, access is at the heart of our issues.

[Michael Savage, Liberal, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

Is it part of the quid pro quo between the federal government and the provincial government and the dedicated transfer that access would be an issue that would be--

[The Chair, Conservative, Brian Pallister]

I'll close off here.

The next question is for Mr. St-Cyr.

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

Thank you all for coming this afternoon.

Once again, groups have made a number of requests, and we will have to choose which ones we recommend to the government.

Mr. MadDonald, of the Conference of Defence Associations, has suggested we invest sizable amounts to upgrade our military equipment. I would like him to explain where the committee will find the money, given that Mr. Kyle has also asked us to invest in the Canadian Cancer Society. Prospectors are also asking for their share, as are the people responsible for student financial assistance, the universities, etc.

Who of your colleagues here today should do their part to allow for increased military investment?

[Colonel Brian MacDonald, Senior Defence Analyst, Conference of Defence Associations]

Mr. Chairman and Mr. St-Cyr, the Conference of Defence Associations identifies the requirement based upon our analysis of the age, particularly, of equipment, and simply points out that if that equipment is not replaced as it comes to the end of its service life or indeed beyond, then the capabilities associated with that equipment disappear as well.

So the challenge goes to government to make the decisions that are going to permit the foreign and defence policy of the country to be implemented, or, alternatively, to say to the military community, “We have changed our mind. These are the directions of our policy, and we will now give you enough money to do that.” This is a decision that is the role of government.

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

You are saying that the financial resources needed to accomplish your mission are currently insufficient.

[Col Brian MacDonald]

That is correct, and it has been for quite some time, as you will see from the various coloured charts that indicate the stage of obsolescence of the major platforms that are involved. So that has to be addressed over the period of time in the future in order to restore those capabilities, or else the foreign and security policies themselves will not be capable of being executed.

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

Very well.

I would like to continue with the representatives of Queen's University. Your first recommendation calls us to negotiate with the provinces about a cash transfer for higher education. A number of groups have made similar requests to our committee. They were asking that funding be brought back up to the 1995 level, prior to the cuts that were made in this area. When you factor in the increase in the number of students and inflation, the amount comes out to $4.9 billion a year.

Are you reiterating that demand? And are those the numbers that you're putting forward?

[Dr. Karen Hitchcock]

Yes, those figures would get us to a point of importance for that country.

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

I would like you expound on your fifth recommendation. You talked about developing a national academic public health strategy to meet the regional needs of the Canadian public health system.

First of all, such a recommendation should not be submitted to a federal government finance committee, because universities, public health and regional needs are areas of provincial jurisdiction. I fail to see how a national strategy can solve regional problems. It seems to me that it would be better to establish regional strategies to solve regional problems, and that those who are in the best position to do so should be the governments of Quebec and of the other provinces.

[Dr. Karen Hitchcock]

The reason we're calling for a national strategy is that when you begin to look at issues of public health, be it pandemics or bioterrorism, they are really national issues. They cross provincial lines, but they certainly also cross borders and become international issues as well.

The national strategy is in response to many reports calling for that at the national level, given the fact that human resources, the human capital in this area, are tremendously deficient across the whole country.

Public health is an issue where the national government becomes pivotal in policy-making that ultimately has an impact on all areas of Canada. We think of obesity not as an Ontario problem but as a national problem. We think about behavioural choices as a national issue, not a provincial one.

When you ask about resources for public health, certainly in the long run the prevention of behavioural issues and issues of public health will ultimately save resources for the nation. It truly is a national issue, I believe.

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

I maintain that the regional and provincial governments are in the best position to make those choices. They have the skills and are best able to identify the needs.

Nevertheless, I will move on to another question, because I also want some time to address the issue of financial assistance with Ms. Brunette.

Given that I have also been the Bloc Québécois critic on youth issues, I've done a lot work with students. They have spoken to me about Quebec's loans and bursaries system. I suppose that they would not recognize themselves very well in your report. It seems to me that it raises issues that do not really apply to Quebec. Our province has a good loans and bursaries system, but we also do agree that it needs more funding.

[The Chair, Conservative, Brian Pallister]

Thank you, Monsieur

We'll continue with Mr. Dykstra.

[Rick Dykstra, Conservative, St. Catharines, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Welcome to all of our presenters.

I found that it actually varied from one end of the youth spectrum to the other, with a whole bunch of things in between. I appreciate it.

Mr. MacDonald, I have a couple of questions for you, hopefully, before moving on to a couple of other folks.

In terms of procurement, you've laid out fairly well the purchases, what's been necessary, and the direction in terms of the future. When was the last time the forces saw any type of procurement activity like this?

[Col Brian MacDonald]

This has certainly been the largest chunk of procurement activity for many years. I would not be able to give you a specific date, but we have been most encouraged by the announcement of the commitment to procure a number of major platform renewals. Those address critical deficiencies and will then enable the forces to carry out their duties in a more effective and efficient fashion.

[Rick Dykstra, Conservative, St. Catharines, ON]

What do you think would have happened within the next five years had the government not gone forward and done what it has done?