Finance Committee on Oct. 3rd, 2011

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Good morning, everyone. Thank you so much for being with us this morning.

We are in St. John's, Newfoundland, this morning. This is our first city outside of Ottawa for our pre-budget consultations for Budget 2012, the budget consultations that follow up on 2011.

My name is James Rajotte. I'm the chair of the Standing Committee on Finance.

I want to thank you all for coming in this morning. We have a couple of members who are unable to make it because of the weather.

Again, thank you for coming in this morning. We have a full panel. We have six organizations here to present, and then you'll have questions from members from all sides. I'll just list the organizations for everyone: Genome Canada; the St. John's Board of Trade; the Brain Injury Association of Canada; the Building and Construction Trades Department, AFL-CIO, Canadian Office; the Canadian Federation of Students--Newfoundland and Labrador; and the Council of Canadians with Disabilities.

You will each have up to five minutes for an opening presentation. Then we'll start with questions from members.

We will start with Genome Canada, please.

[Pierre Meulien, President and Chief Executive Officer, Genome Canada]

Good day, Chair, committee members.

I will be making my presentation in English; however, I would be delighted to answer questions in French, should there be any.

Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, on behalf of Genome Canada, I'm pleased to participate in this consultation process leading to the 2012 federal budget.

Recognizing the central role that genomics will play in Canada's future, the federal government supported the establishment of Genome Canada a decade ago to foster this comparatively young science. In our first 10 years of existence, three key foundational activities were accomplished.

Genome Canada and six regional genome centres were formed to induce and support genomics research activities across the country in sectors of strategic importance to Canada. A national strategy was developed that aimed at fostering genomics developments in terms of scientific output, infrastructure support, and research talent. In funding research, we incorporated considerations of ethical, environmental, economic, legal, and social challenges as a means of improving the likelihood that scientific discovery would lead to real world benefit.

We've delivered a real return on investment, leveraging the $915 million received from the Government of Canada into $2 billion in research through co-funding agreements with international partners, the private sector, universities, and, very importantly, provincial governments.

Five world-class science and technology innovation centres have been created in Canada to build an advanced, highly sophisticated technological foundation for Canadian researchers, companies, and others to support genomics initiatives across the country. Genome Canada has established a unique, effective operating model that combines national leadership with the ability to respond to regional needs and priorities.

More than 150 large-scale research projects--these are about $10 million each--have been undertaken and are fuelling the development of Canada's bio-economy. We've developed a cross-sectoral approach to create the multidisciplinary expertise needed to address complex challenges that impact Canadians directly. This approach touches upon most key sectors that are critical to future Canadian growth and prosperity: agriculture, forestry, fisheries, the environment, energy, mining, and human health.

More than 20 private sector companies have resulted from our research investment. Our strong focus on commercialization has led to more than 350 patent applications and patent awards, as well as 24 commercial licence agreements. More than 10,000 highly skilled personnel have been trained in genomics throughout this period.

There are a lot of examples. Some are listed in my sheet. In human health, in the areas of cancer, diabetes, and autism, the approach is helping patients but also helping to improve the economics of our health care system.

In forestry, genomics is helping to choose trees to plant: which tree do you plant after 14 million hectares of forest have been destroyed by the mountain pine beetle? Genomics is there.

In mining, energy, and the environment, microbial communities are being looked at through genomics in terms of helping to get new remediation technologies up and running. The sequencing of the salmon genome will provide improved management of wild fish stocks and enhanced brood stock development for the aquaculture industry.

Over the last 10 years, we have been very successful regarding any benchmark study, and in order to fully capitalize on the promise of genomics and keep pace with the rapid rate of evolution and the impact of this young science, we've set ourselves new objectives for the next five years: investing in large-scale science and technology to fuel innovation; connecting ideas and people across the public and private sectors to find new uses and applications for genomics; and translating discoveries into applications that create valuable products and services delivering direct benefits to Canadians.

Mr. Chairman, to continue the process of generating discoveries and accelerating their translation into direct benefits, we're requesting stable, multi-year funding of $500 million over five years--$100 million per year. We intend to multiply that funding substantially so that a net investment of approximately $1.5 billion--so that's three to one--will be made in Canada in genomics. We will do so in recognition of the central role of genomics in our economic and social future and the expectation that we're on the cusp of significant and dramatic change.

The economic and social benefits that we're reporting to you here today are only the earliest indicators of the net benefit to come. We do understand the fiscal challenges facing the Government of Canada at this time, but we believe this needs to be balanced with the innovative agenda, which will drive the economy that Canada needs to set its new priorities.

Stable multi-year funding will optimize Canada's chances of playing a major role in the future bio-economy; according to the OECD, this will be worth nearly 3% of global GDP by 2030. Canada, given its footprint, should be expecting a larger percentage of that pie.

Genome Canada has aligned itself with the objective of the federal government's Advantage Canada initiative and has become an integral part of the innovation agenda, bringing return on investment to all citizens of Canada over the past ten years, and continuing partnership with the Canadian government in sharing goals and objectives of job creation and economic development. Our next ten years will provide even greater ROI to Canada.

Mr. Chairman, Canada's genomics enterprise has just begun the process of expanding Canada's innovative capacities. We ask for your support in realizing this promise.

Thank you very much.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Thank you very much for your presentation.

We will now hear from the St. John's Board of Trade.

[Jo Mark Zurel, Chair, St. John's Board of Trade]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, members of the committee, for making time for the St. John's Board of Trade to speak on this subject. I'm going to keep my presentation in the context of Canada's position in the global economy.

When you look around the world right now, you see governments in Europe and south of us in the United States struggling with large deficits and large debts. These issues are affecting the real economy as well. In Canada, through the last recession, we have increased our deficits quite substantially, and we've been adding to our debt. At the St. John's Board of Trade, we believe it's time to get back to basics, and time for the government to focus on the core role of government and to reduce its costs. We believe that for things like the public service, costs should be reduced proportionately.

In the past, we've seen that in some regions cuts have been deeper than they have been in central Canada. We believe, to the extent that cuts in the number of civil servants and the cost of services are required, that these need to be done on a proportional basis so everybody is delivering the services proportionally across the country. We think doing so is important because Canada relies heavily on resources, and resource prices rise and fall with the global economy. These are things we don't control. All we really control is our own spending.

Looking at ways to reduce costs, we believe the private sector can deliver many of the services the government currently delivers directly, and can do it more cheaply and more efficiently, thus freeing up funds for the federal government to be able to focus on core government programs.

We also believe, though, as was the case in the last downturn when there was some stimulus spending, there are times when strategic investments need to be made. We believe this may still be the case in some areas. We really think these investments should be based on evidence and should be delivered, to the extent possible, with partners in the private sector.

I will give you a couple examples. These are the types of things we believe would help stimulate economic activity in the future, as opposed to just adding expensive infrastructure to be maintained later. These examples include things like the recent adoption by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce of a policy asking the federal government to develop a plan for northern gateways across Canada. We believe this sort of thing will stimulate economic activity into the future and would be a worthwhile investment.

Another example is the adoption by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce of a policy saying we should have the federal government, through public policy and potential investment, ensure that we have an east-west power grid and, to the extent that is practical, a north-south one as well, so that provincial rivalries will not get in the way of good economics. There is an important role there for the federal government. We think these are the sorts of things, to the extent that stimulus spending is required, that should be focused on rather than just adding expensive infrastructure.

That's the end of my formal comments, so I'll leave it at that.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Thank you very much for your presentation.

We will now hear from the Brain Injury Association of Canada.

[Jeannette Holman-Price, Vice-Chair, Brain Injury Association of Canada]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman and committee members. We're honoured to be able to present today to your committee.

The Brain Injury Association of Canada, BIAC, was founded in 2002 by a group of eight family members of survivors of brain injury. Just nine years later, we serve 1.4 million brain injury survivors across Canada.

Our board of directors has grown to include representatives from across the country, with board members from Vancouver to St. John's and a strong national presence. We advise MPs interested in the topic, and have been called to Parliament Hill to advise on the creation of private members' bills on our topic.

Our Internet site receives more than 5,000 visits per month, ranking third in North America for information with regard to brain trauma or acquired brain injury. We action more than 75 requests for information from Internet and telephone requests per week.

We count among our front-line advisers the late Dr. Jane Gillett, pediatric neurologist; Dr. Raquel del Carpio, associate director of radiology at the MUHC; Dr. Angela Colantonio, researcher for Toronto Rehab; Dr. Charles Tator, neurosurgeon; Dr. Nora Cullen, physiatrist; Dr. Paul Echlin, neurologist; and Dr. Michael Vassilyadi, pediatric neurosurgeon.

We sit on the NCAA, the Global Road Safety Committee, and the International Brain Injury Association. Our members also sit on the Atlantic Collaborative for Injury Prevention, and we advise across the country on ways to prevent brain injury.

One of our strongest messages is that the only cure for brain injury is prevention.

BIAC is in partnership with the Canadian Chiropractic Association, the Office for Disability Issues with Human Resources Canada, the Canadian Medical Association, the CFL Alumni Association, Stop Concussions in hockey, in Toronto, as well as grassroots and support networks across our country.

Neurological Health Charities Canada was given $15 million for research initiatives from the Government of Canada. When we were invited to the table, we were able to advise those researchers on inadequacies across the country in areas of research, including pediatric and childhood brain injuries, as well as focusing on the topic of women and ABI.

BIAC has an excellent working relationship with the Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation, and we're working closely with ONF toward a national brain injury research strategy.

Our annual conference attracts specialists from around North America. Our conference is well received by topic specialists, but also has a strong stream of support as it is attended by both survivors and their support networks.

We've managed to attract the interest of our Governor General, His Excellency David Johnston, and Mrs. Sharon Johnston as patrons.

There are huge inadequacies in what is available in terms of care across our country. The stories of people at our conference from the east coast were particularly poignant in comparison to what we've heard from others across Canada. That came up in our focus groups.

There are huge numbers of people affected and huge costs. Brain injury is more common than breast cancer, HIV/AIDS, spinal cord injury, and multiple sclerosis combined. Also, if people got more treatment up front, they would be more productive in the long term, as would their families.

Brain injury tends to affect individuals early in life. As such, they may have to live for decades with a disability. Among long-term brain injury survivors, the leading cause of death is depression and suicide. Return to work after a moderate to severe injury is only about 40%. In a recent study, the lifetime prevalence among homeless participants was 53% for traumatic brain injury and 12% for moderate to severe traumatic brain injury. For 70% of the respondents, their first traumatic brain injury occurred before the onset of their homelessness.

After adjustment for demographic characteristics and lifetime duration of homelessness, a history of moderate to severe traumatic brain injury was associated with a significantly increased likelihood of seizures, mental health problems, drug problems, poor physical health status, and poor mental health status.

There's a high prevalence of brain injury history among persons in prison. Many of these people have a history that would likely not have been there had they had proper support or behavioural interventions from the onset.

There is a focus on prevention. We need to educate families and providers about concussion management to prevent any negative secondary effects from concussions. Traumatic brain injury, or TBI, is a leading cause of death and disability globally, and thus is of major public health importance. TBI is more common than breast cancer, spinal cord injury, HIV/AIDS, and multiple sclerosis in a 2:5 ratio.

Across Canada, approximately 18,000 hospitalizations annually are associated with TBI diagnosis.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

You have a minute left for your presentation.

[Jeannette Holman-Price]

Although men are twice as likely to sustain a TBI, there's a large population of women affected. Despite that, the health-related consequences of TBI that are unique to women have not been adequately studied.

BIAC wants to continue our work and expand our leadership role in the national concussion management program to educate all Canadian parents, athletes, and coaches on how concussion can be prevented through certified equipment.

Our request, Chairman and committee members, is that in order for the Brain Injury Association of Canada to support grassroots organizations, the association requires seed funding for a period of four years to carry out its ambitious development plan to support close to 1.4 million Canadians living with acquired brain injury and to assist in reducing the social, economic, and health burdens that affect all Canadians.

The Brain Injury Association of Canada is requesting an investment of just $2 million over four years from the Government of Canada to allow our association to build a national movement with provincial affiliates; to assist in our development of research excellence; to enhance our ability to tell the brain injury story and create awareness; to assist the association's ability to reach all Canadians with information about prevention and support; to help launch our national fundraising program; and to assist BIAC's ability to represent and communicate with Canada's francophone community as well.

The return on this investment will be priceless. As soon as new and innovative brain injury programs and services become operationalized, BIAC will be in a position to assist all levels of government.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Thank you very much for your presentation.

We'll now hear from the Building and Construction Trades Department, AFL-CIO.

[Robert Blakely, Director, Canadian Affairs, Building and Construction Trades Department, AFL-CIO, Canadian Office]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.

My name is Bob Blakely, and I am privileged to represent the men and women who build and maintain Canada.

With me today is Mr. David Wade from the Newfoundland and Labrador building and construction trades.

We're in an industry that employs over a million Canadians but has no permanent jobs. For every construction job that happens in Canada, the day you are hired on, you are one day closer to being laid off. Unlike others who are here with an “ask”, I am here to give you money.

I have a scheme that will help meet a number of challenges the Government of Canada faces and get Canadians with skills from one area to another in this country. If you look at the labour market information available, you will find that areas like Newfoundland and Labrador will face significant labour shortages from now until 2014. Ontario will be flat until 2015. Alberta, Nova Scotia, and Quebec need numbers of workers.

In a transitory business, we need to be able to move people from one place to another in the country. According to some of the studies that have been done, 70% of all construction workers move, either within the province or within the country, in order to access work during their careers. What we are proposing is a tax credit program that would allow workers who fall within areas where skills are required to be able to claim a tax credit for money they spend moving from one part of the country to another. Workers benefit by getting a reduction in their temporary relocation costs. Employers will benefit from having access to a much larger pool of workers. The Government of Canada will benefit. If you look at the investment scheme described in the materials, you'll see that after an initial short-term investment, the Government of Canada will recover money at a rate of about five to one.

We have a number of suggestions as to how you could set up a pilot project and monitor it. I'm not going to waste a lot of time going through that. Suffice it to say, we're asking here for something that will help construction workers move from one part of the country to another. Newfoundland, which has been a traditional exporter of people, is going to be an importer of people over the next three or four years.

We're also asking for some tax fairness here. If, instead of being construction workers, we were engineers or architects or superintendents who incorporated ourselves as one-person companies, we would be able to write off our travel expenses at 100¢ on the dollar. We can't do that as working guys.

Teamsters, who are long-haul truckers and who move across the country, can write off their expenses. We're asking for a tax credit that would help move people, who we desperately need, from one part of the country to another. I know Mr. Jean can tell you that in Fort McMurray they need people.

If you look at the background, at how long we've been talking about this, in 2008 the standing committee on human resources and social development talked about creating some sort of relocation assistance to help people who move from place to place. There is a private member's bill that has been introduced in the last three parliaments, which now is Bill C-201, introduced by Chris Charlton from Hamilton Mountain. It talks about how we could assist people with skills to move.

The time has come. The baby boomer generation, which no one expected was ever going to retire, is going to retire. We have spaces for nearly 2,500 people to enter the construction industry in the next five years, and another 163,000 people in the five years after that. It's an industry that is going to change. If we have trained people all across the country, we need to be able to move them.

We are talking about a way the Government of Canada can lever its investment and have a worker in Corner Brook work in Alberta for a very low cost, instead of being on unemployment insurance at home because he can't afford to travel.

That's my pitch. Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Thank you very much.

We'll now hear from the Canadian Federation of Students, please.

[Jessica McCormick, Chairperson, Canadian Federation of Students (Newfoundland and Labrador)]

Thank you.

Good morning. My name is Jessica McCormick. I'm the chair of the Canadian Federation of Students--Newfoundland and Labrador. The federation represents every public university and college student in the province and over half a million post-secondary students across Canada. I'd like to thank the committee for the opportunity to make the voice of students heard here today.

The student movement's recommendations focus on how the next federal budget can improve access to post-secondary education for students like me and pave the way for a more stable and equitable economy.

As a student who faced significant barriers accessing post-secondary education in my home province of Nova Scotia, I was forced to leave my family, friends, and community in Cape Breton and attend Memorial University of Newfoundland, where tuition fees are less than half those of Nova Scotia. A recent study conducted by the Memorial University Faculty of Education found that since the tuition fee freeze was introduced in 1999 there has been a 1,079% increase in the number of Nova Scotians studying at MUN.

Inadequate post-secondary education funding has resulted in tuition fee increases of over 230% since 1992. Those who receive government assistance or private bank loans face average debt loads of $28,000, with many debts over twice that figure. Over the previous few years, the federal government has made some progress in increasing access to post-secondary education, both through the increase to the Canada social transfer and the introduction of a national grants program. However, there is much work to be done to increase accessibility to post-secondary education in this country.

Our first recommendation is that the government adopt a post-secondary education act. At a time when over 70% of new jobs require a degree or a diploma, it is crucial that we have a national vision and framework.

A post-secondary act--similar to the Canada Health Act--would clarify the federal government's shared role in ensuring that billions of federal dollars transferred to the provinces each year are spent on post-secondary education and that education is a right for everyone in Canada, regardless of their socio-economic circumstances. Although education is a provincial jurisdiction, not unlike health care, the federal government has a clear role to play in providing funding for post-secondary education as well as student financial assistance. In order to achieve this worthwhile goal, the federal government should work together with the provinces to implement a national post-secondary education act.

Our second recommendation is to expand the value and quantity of the Canada student grants by reallocating the current funding for ineffective education-related tax credits and savings schemes. For the past decade, the federal government has spent billions on back-ended assistance through the registered education savings program and the Canada education savings grant, as well as education-related tax credits. In addition to having little proof that these measures actually increase access to post-secondary education, uptake for these programs is predominantly by families with higher income levels.

In 2009-10 alone, the federal government spent $2.5 billion on these programs. This exceeds the total annual lending of the Canada student loans program by $400 million. By reallocating the funding, the federal government could eliminate the need for students to borrow from the CSLP until 2025.

Fall 2010 saw student debt hit an all-time high of approximately $15.3 billion. The debt burden faced by students is substantial and unsustainable and has reached a crisis point. Student debt has increased in almost every jurisdiction, with the exception of Newfoundland and Labrador. Here, student debt has been lowered through an expansion of the provincial grants program that now provides $70 in grants per week of study. This was accomplished while the post-secondary education system experienced an overall increase in enrollment and the province experienced a decrease in population.

If the federal government wants to seriously tackle student debt in Canada, it need look no further than the example set by the policies of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador: expand the Canada student grants program.

Our final recommendation is to expand the number of Canada graduate scholarships by $75 million over three years, consistent with average program growth since its creation in 2003. Technology and innovation play a central role in the development of Canada's economy. In Newfoundland and Labrador, the volatility associated with a resource-based economy has highlighted the need for diversity and innovation.

Universities, and particularly graduate students, play an important role in the development of innovation and cutting-edge research. Graduate students are generating a significant portion of Newfoundland and Labrador's new and innovative social and economic ideas, products, and methods. Financial hardship affects the quality of research performed by graduate students, who are under stress and forced to shorten their field work, forego publishing and conference presentations, and rush the writing stage of dissertations.

As an addendum to our submission, I would like to point out that our national organization, the national aboriginal caucus of the federation, and several aboriginal and non-aboriginal organizations alike, have all recommended that the federal government eliminate the 2% cap on the post-secondary student support program. Students in Newfoundland and Labrador and across the country see this as an indefensible policy that is harmful to first nations and Inuit communities and to the economic well-being of the country. The current funding path on the PSSSP has prevented thousands of aboriginal students from attending post-secondary education institutions.

In conclusion, the lack of federal leadership in addressing increasing tuition fees and chronic underfunding has resulted in significant lost opportunity costs to our country. For every Canadian shut out of post-secondary education, the costs of health care, employment insurance, social assistance, and public safety increase, while the tax base is reduced at the same time.

The OECD estimates that the economic return on investing in post-secondary education is $1.63 for every dollar the federal government spends. Simply put, our government cannot afford to continue to underfund our post-secondary education system.

Thank you. I look forward to any questions the members of the committee may have.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Thank you for your presentation.

We will now hear from the Council of Canadians with Disabilities.

[Susan Ralph, Vice-Chairperson, Council of Canadians with Disabilities]

Thank you.

I'm Susan Ralph. I'm the second vice-chair of the Council of Canadians with Disabilities, as well as a member at large.

CCD is the only national cross-disability organization of men and women with disabilities working for an inclusive and accessible Canada. CCD promotes the elimination of barriers so that Canadians with disabilities have the opportunity to take their place in the Canadian economy.

Coordinated by our organization and the Canadian Association for Community Living, people with disabilities and their families have developed a national action plan to address these barriers. I have brought along copies of our national action plan to leave with you. In this presentation today, I will share with you those solutions relevant to your work on your committee.

CCD will be focusing on solutions aimed at ensuring shared prosperity and a high standard of living for all citizens. We are aware that the federal jurisdiction has its limitations and that responsibility for many of our issues rests within the provinces and territories.

We urge the Government of Canada to work collaboratively with all provinces and territories on labour market strategies and broad social policy initiatives to address the needs of persons with disabilities. Wherever possible, we ask the Government of Canada to use its legislative powers to ensure persons with disabilities are fully included in Canadian programs and services and thus have opportunities to contribute to Canada's social and economic prosperity.

CCD urges the Government of Canada to remember those who already face significant barriers and disadvantages. Many within the disability community live on incomes that are less than $10,000 annually. CCD respectfully puts forward three recommendations that if implemented would increase the opportunities for inclusion and contribution of persons with disabilities, improve their standard of living, and facilitate their sharing in Canada's prosperity.

Our number one request is to address the disproportionate poverty experienced by Canadians with disabilities. The registered disability savings plan created in Budget 2007 is a positive initiative, but its impact will not be felt until 10 years after its inception. The disability tax credit is the Canadian government's main program that addresses the non-itemizable and non-reimbursable costs of living with a disability--for those who meet the DTC eligibility requirement. At present, many Canadians with disabilities who would be eligible for the DTC have no benefit from this because they do not have a taxable income. Our recommendation is that the Government of Canada make the disability tax credit refundable for Canadians with disabilities who do not have a taxable income.

Number two, expand the EI sick benefit. A qualified worker can receive sick benefits for up to 15 weeks. In the area of sickness benefits, Canada lags behind other countries. The inadequate duration of this benefit puts Canadians at increased risk of slipping into poverty. In the national action plan, the disability community has recommended reform of the EI sick benefit, for up to 52 weeks of coverage, as one of the first steps to end disability poverty. Such reform would ensure continuity of income against the interruptions of earnings in case of illness and disablement. It is of note that over 100 Canadian organizations supported this proposal when endorsing the national action plan we have developed. CCD recommends that the Government of Canada reform the EI sick benefit to provide up to 52 weeks of coverage.

Number three, support organizations of persons with disabilities. Organizations of persons with disabilities will be called upon during an economic downturn to support and create community services to assist those who have lost jobs or find themselves less able to cope. Canada's organizations of persons with disabilities provide a wide variety of programming, including training and professional development and individual supports and shelter to members of our community. During hard times, volunteers and their associations play a critical role in addressing the difficulties encountered by many. The Government of Canada must enable volunteers and the disability organizations to continue to make the strong and effective contributions that only they can provide.

CCD recommends that the Government of Canada renew and expand the social development partnership program that supports the disability community to bring the government advice and information for creating a more accessible and inclusive Canada. This fund has not been increased since 1996, and people with disabilities and their organizations have repeatedly been asked to do more with less.

This situation cannot continue. Soon, if the government does not expand its support and added value by engagement with disability organizations, we'll be lost.

In conclusion, on March 11, 2010, Canada ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, CRPD. By adopting the recommendations you have heard today, the Canadian government would be acting in accordance with the spirit of the CRPD, which holds states parties to a standard of progressive realization of the objectives established in the convention.

I thank you all for your time and for the opportunity to highlight our three main items, to which we are confident this committee can contribute.

Again, thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Thank you very much for your presentation.

We'll now start members' questions with Mr. Mai, pour cinq minutes.

[Hoang Mai, NDP, Brossard—La Prairie, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you to all the witnesses for coming today.

Obviously, we have a lot of questions but not a lot of time. My first question is for Ms. Ralph from the Council of Canadians with Disabilities.

You said the social development partnership program that exists has not been increased since 1996. Do you know why?

[Susan Ralph]

I do know that a lot of national disability organizations, more especially our council, the Council of Canadians with Disabilities and the community associations for independent living, have asked for an increase in core funding to the national organizations. I don't know why they haven't been funded. We have repeatedly asked, with the support of our provincial organizations, for an increase in that as many of our national organizations depend on that money in order to function.

Also, I just want to make note that that funding trickles from our national organizations into some provincial ones. These are very small grants that are able to filter out in order to bring together people with disabilities to hear grassroots solutions to many of our issues.

[Hoang Mai, NDP, Brossard—La Prairie, QC]

Also, in one of the recommendations you proposed—and this will also apply to Ms. McCormick—regarding a tax credit, you are asking for it to be refundable. Do you mean basically to just give it as a grant? Is that your request or recommendation?

[Susan Ralph]

We are asking for income tax reform around the disability tax credit. As you know, not all people with disabilities are eligible for disability tax credits. You have to be markedly restricted in order to gain eligibility to the disability tax credit.

The problem with that is that many of the folks who are eligible for the disability tax credit do not have taxable income simply because they may be on Canada Pension Plan disability or they may be on income support programs within their own provinces. So even though the individuals who are eligible for this tax have significant barriers and disability-related costs, none of those itemizable, disability-related costs are any good to them as tax writeoffs simply because they do not have that income.

[Hoang Mai, NDP, Brossard—La Prairie, QC]

I will ask the same question to the Canadian Federation of Students with regard to tax credits versus grants.

[Jessica McCormick]

Currently the federal government invests roughly $2.4 billion in tax credits and savings schemes.

Our recommendation is actually cost-neutral: to roll those investments in tax credits and savings schemes into upfront, non-repayable grants by investing in grants or reducing student debt. Taking action on the student debt crisis in the country will allow graduates to begin their careers without mortgage-sized debt and to be able to contribute to the economy through the tax base.

[Hoang Mai, NDP, Brossard—La Prairie, QC]

Thank you.

I have a question for the building and construction trades.

You talked about Bill C-201, which was put forward by one of my colleagues. However, I was just wondering if that really addresses the issues you raised in terms of jobs and transferability.

[Robert Blakely]

The short answer is yes.

I know that Ms. Charlton has told us unequivocally that if the Government of Canada moves forward with something that would deal with the issue of the transfer of skilled people from one part of the country to another, she would withdraw her bill in a heartbeat.

[Hoang Mai, NDP, Brossard—La Prairie, QC]

Thank you.

I have one question regarding brain injuries. We know that investing in prevention would help a lot in our society. What recommendations would you give with regard to using that money for prevention? Are there some examples or things that you really see concretely?

[Jeannette Holman-Price]

We work together with other organizations throughout the country on prevention. There is an awful lot of funding already in prevention. The ThinkFirst program is dedicated to prevention. The Brain Injury Association of Canada looks at prevention as one small portion. We look at prevention, identification, and rehabilitation.

When it comes to getting people back into the workforce or back into living, we see that the biggest deficit across our country is the very little money put into rehabilitation. Injury prevention is a global problem, but it's being addressed in many areas.

When it comes to brain injury, unlike a broken leg or a broken arm, which will heal, the brain will never heal. Once prevention has failed, we feel that the Brain Injury Association of Canada takes on where the other organizations leave off.