Evidence of meeting #41 for Finance in the 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was education.
A recording is available from Parliament.
6:20 p.m.
Conservative
6:20 p.m.
Conservative
Ron Cannan Conservative Kelowna—Lake Country, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you to our witnesses this afternoon.
I just want to comment and follow up Mr. Martin. I'm a guest at this committee as well. I sit on the human resources committee, and we've been studying the issue of poverty for over six months, so it is a very serious issue and a concern for our government and for everybody in this room and within the House. I have a sister-in-law who is a teacher and friends I spend quite a bit of time with in the schools, and some of the stories I've heard first-hand I've been saddened to hear.
We want to do what we can. We know that in the last budget we doubled the tax relief within our working income tax benefit, and we also tried to help with other incentives to try to encourage unemployed individuals with training to give them the skill sets so they can continue to provide the benefits that are required to have a healthy life.
The other aspect is that we're investing in education and investing in people. Going to the area of post-secondary education, I met with Okanagan College and UBC Okanagan in the Kelowna—Lake Country district I represent, and I know that education and investing in people is our number one priority for our future.
I just want to ask the representatives from the students' association something. In Budget 2009 we changed our funding for grants. Are you happy with our moving the Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation to the new grant program?
6:20 p.m.
Policy and Research Officer, Canadian Alliance of Student Associations
In terms of 2009, we were reasonably happy with the results of that budget. We definitely were looking for the grants that were going to disappear when Millennium left to be reinvested into students. And we were glad to see that happened on an income-based system, though we do believe there needs to be more work for more needs-based funding. But overall, we are certainly happy with that investment.
6:20 p.m.
Conservative
Ron Cannan Conservative Kelowna—Lake Country, BC
Thank you.
I don't have much time, because I believe the chair would like to ask a question as well, so I'll move on to Ms. Kenny. You haven't had a chance to comment. I appreciate the fact that you mentioned you have some suggestions at no cost to taxpayers, which is a relief to all of us, of course, in these challenging economic times.
I'm a member of the Canada-United States Inter-Parliamentary Group and I was at a committee meeting in July with regard to discussions on the Mackenzie Valley pipeline and the Alaska pipeline projects. I know we have a major initiatives project office, and you've talked about results-oriented regulation and balancing that with environmental protection. In the next budget, how do you see us bringing in some initiatives to help move the Mackenzie Valley and the Alaska pipeline projects forward, based on those criteria?
6:20 p.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Energy Pipeline Association
I think that's an interesting question in terms of the Alaska and Mackenzie projects in particular. Directionally, one of the fundamental roles for government is to make sure that the decision-making can be taken in a way that is complete and does protect the environment, but that is also timely enough to give investors a line of sight to know that if they're putting up $20 billion or $30 billion, they will have an answer as to whether or not they can proceed within some expected timeline.
So I wouldn't advocate for specific moneys involved with those northern projects, but absolutely be clear about the timelines involved in getting to decisions, and certainly reflect that south of 60 so that we have a framework in Canada that provides investors both certainty, as far as timeliness of decision-making--not a guarantee on approval, just timeliness--and simplicity, so that we can actually protect the environment without believing that layering on and longer is a way to achieve that.
6:25 p.m.
Conservative
Ron Cannan Conservative Kelowna—Lake Country, BC
Thanks. And I know the first nations, aboriginal and Inuit, have a big role in that as well, so we'll continue to move it forward.
Moving on to Mr. Anthony, a big issue in British Columbia obviously is the Ontario tax policy for the film credits in the industry. The industry has moved to Ontario in a big shift, and it's something that hopefully our British Columbia government will recognize.
6:25 p.m.
Conservative
Ron Cannan Conservative Kelowna—Lake Country, BC
I would like to see what happens with regard to your comments on the film industry. I met with Jason Priestley, who is an actor on Beverly Hills 90210, and he is also in the wine industry in the Okanagan, looking at the idea of trying to stimulate the production industry.
Two of your recommendations are a little vague. I just wonder if you could zero down a little bit more. Your first recommendation is about comprehensive enhancements. What would you visualize as comprehensive enhancements?
September 16th, 2009 / 6:25 p.m.
National Execuive Director and Chief Executive Officer, Directors Guild of Canada
The primary instruments of direct investment on the part of the federal government are such agencies as Telefilm Canada. Its level of support has been stalled for a number of years, so there's been a real-dollar decline there. When you look at the rising demand and the flatlining of Telefilm and the other programs, you see a big disparity there. We really need to kick-start the industry.
Interestingly enough, you mentioned B.C. Last year was a good year--although not a great year--for B.C. compared with the rest of the country We have some 700 members working and living in B.C. Last year, of those 700 members, 100 did not work at all. Only 150 worked over 150 days, which is less than half time. Therefore, 450 worked between one day and 149 days.
Someone earlier mentioned investing in people. We really need to get our skilled, talented people back to work. You can't have a full-time industry based on part-time labour.
As I say, that was a good year for B.C. compared with the rest of the country. I'm hoping that the B.C. government will look at Ontario and Quebec, and other provinces will do the same, and the federal government will put together a comprehensive, truly national program of tax credits that will really kick-start our industry and get it over the current problems it's facing.
6:25 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Rajotte
Thank you.
Ms. Kenny, I just wanted to follow up on one item, and that's with respect to regulation. Mr. Cannan did touch on it.
If you say “simplify the regulatory process”, I think people will generally nod their heads in agreement. But when you get down to specific regulations, there is generally a reason for each regulation. You mentioned a timeline. Perhaps you could expand on what you mean by the “layering on” of regulation.
The second item, which Mr. Pacetti also raised, refers to the section entitled “Regulation to Address the Costs and Obligations of Retirement of Pipeline Assets”. You discussed it in your brief, but perhaps you would just explain how that's going to work, the establishment of this prescribed trust.
Perhaps you could address those two things.
6:25 p.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Energy Pipeline Association
Thank you.
First, with regard to the layering on, right now in Canada we have multiple pieces of legislation that often grind against each other rather than work well together to get to the end result of environmental protection and efficiency. Specifically with the major projects management office, they've done a good job, as an initial step, of coordinating between those pieces of legislation. Now is the time to take a look at the overall system.
That includes CEAA for environmental assessment, it includes fisheries, it includes species at risk, it includes migratory birds, and it includes navigable waters. That is not to say that any of those important pieces of legislation should be radically altered, but simply that the way we look at them together needs to be a lot smarter.
6:25 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Rajotte
When you say “timeline”, what's the ballpark on that--one year, two years?
6:25 p.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Energy Pipeline Association
I think right now we often see major projects taking more than four years. The goal when MPMO was launched was to bring that down to two. We've yet to see that.
6:25 p.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Energy Pipeline Association
Yes, and thank you for raising that.
A qualified environmental trust is currently allowed for the mining industry. It's an opportunity for an incentive to move forward on setting aside moneys for future reclamation. We believe now is a very good time on the pipeline sector to allow for a simple tax-efficient method to support that. It does correspond to a decision from the major federal regulator of this year, seeking the establishment of those sorts of funds.
6:30 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Rajotte
Okay. Thank you for clarifying that.
I want to thank all of you for responding to our questions and for presenting your briefs and submissions. It was an excellent discussion with excellent presentations. We thank you all for being here.
Colleagues, we thank you for your attendance. We will see you tomorrow morning.
The meeting is adjourned.