Evidence of meeting #118 for Finance in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was research.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter
Are there any safeguards that could be put in place there to at least in some way protect the public investment?
Director, Communications and Strategic Initiatives, University of Waterloo, Institute for Quantum Computing
I think creating the ecosystem that we have in Waterloo region is part of the safeguard that we can replicate across the country, because if we provide the incentives and the partnerships for people to stay here in Canada, they will stay here in Canada. I think if we put too many restrictions on them, they won't come because there are so many other places to get investments and to take those opportunities.
We want them to come here. We want researchers to come and know that they can take their technologies, they can build them here, they can create jobs here, they can create companies here. They can have that investment here in Canada. Having that full ecosystem ensures as much as we can that they'll try to stay here in Canada.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter
I know we've gone a little over time, but I don't believe there is any open-mike session.
Ms. Dendys, you never had a question. Is there anything you want to add? You make a pretty dramatic point that if we stay in this track, this government will have the worst record on aid of any government in the last 50 years. Maybe you need to send this to the Prime Minister. I know that the Prime Minister would be a little concerned about that.
Do you have anything you want to add?
Interim Executive Director, RESULTS Canada
I just want to add that it is not about condemnation; it is about wanting to work with the government to try to get back on the right course. I hope I've made a compelling argument about the reasons why.
Maybe I'll just make one point—because we're in Windsor and this is my hometown—in terms of the interconnectedness of the world, bringing together the idea that aid works, that it matters, that Canada's leadership has been immense, and the idea in a border town that borders are important but that they are also dissipating.
I used to work for an organization called Nutrition International. It does tremendous work in terms of addressing malnutrition issues around the world. Our huge Canadian success story is in something called vitamin A. Many millions of children have died over the years because of a vitamin A deficiency when they are under five. It makes them susceptible to things like measles and other deadly diseases that kill them.
Over the years, Canada has been a tremendous leader on that. It costs two cents for a little capsule of vitamin A, and kids get it twice a year. They cut the end, and they put it in their mouths while they are getting other immunizations and getting treated at health posts. Because of that little two-cent intervention, Canada's leadership has contributed to saving about three million children's lives over the last decade.
The interesting connection to Windsor is that the Government of Canada funds the Nutrition International organization to procure the world supply of vitamin A—the vitamin A that is at health posts from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, by the way. Those vitamin A capsules are manufactured right here in Windsor at Nutricorp, which is a manufacturing plant down the street, and Accucaps, which is a manufacturing plant in Strathroy. I had the opportunity to go and open that plant and cut a big ribbon. It was one of my key moments. I think I even had giant scissors. I engaged the people who work in the plant, those people from the area of Windsor, and told them their work is actually having an impact around the world, and we had a conversation about that. It was significant.
I bring that point up because in coming back and speaking to you here in my hometown, I'm thinking of that. It just illuminates the connectivity between here and there.
On the aid question, the one last point I would make is that I think it is about setting a global goal and target, about Canada being back—not way back, but back—and being willing to work with the government on what a realistic on-ramp could be to meeting our global obligations.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter
Thank you, Christina. I actually toured that plant at one time.
I have just one other question, Mr. Marchand. You're the only one who brought up PACA so far. Do you want to expand on that a little? I expect there are quite a number of people who probably don't know what PACA is. It's important to deal with that issue. I'm familiar with it, but let's hear your expectations.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
PACA is the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act. In July 2014, the U.S. government advised Canada we would no longer be part of PACA. We've been part of PACA since the 1930s. Basically it is a way for small businesses in the agricultural sector to ensure that they get paid. If we boil it all down, that's what it is. There's a minimal fee of about $100, and Canada was allowed to participate in the American PACA system. That means here in Windsor-Essex or southern Ontario you sell $10,000 worth of tomatoes over to Detroit, the vendor in Detroit goes bankrupt, PACA steps in, and you get most of your money back in relatively short order.
The current government said it would reinstate PACA—a Canadian-style PACA, since the U.S. was not allowing us to participate—and that's fine. The number of small businesses in southern Ontario in the agricultural sector is enormous. They need certainty that they're going to get paid. These are not items that you store and then wait for 30 days to get a disposition on bankruptcy. These products perish rapidly. Our small agricultural sector needs the certainty that they're going to get paid in relatively short order. As it sits right now, companies have to put up double the bond while this process is ongoing. The cash flow requirements are enormous for small businesses. They just can't handle it.
We've had lots of events here, and I've talked to you about it, Mr. Chair. Thank you for your support on that issue. It's a big issue here in southern Ontario. There's a national Canadian Chamber of Commerce resolution on it as well. We've had some correspondence with the agriculture minister and the industry minister. We would encourage the government to fulfill its campaign platform promise to adopt PACA-style legislation here in Canada to help our small business in the agricultural sector.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter
Okay. I think that's it, unless somebody else has...? Are we all okay?
All right. With that, thank you, witnesses, for your presentations and your answers to questions, and thank you to committee members as well.
Committee members, lunch will be just next door. We'll meet in the lobby at 3:30 p.m. and then head to the airport. The schedule says three o'clock, but I've been to this airport. I don't want to criticize the Windsor airport, but Charlottetown has at least a place where you can eat.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce
We do have a place to eat, Mr. Chair. It's after you clear security, though. The chairs have been upgraded and there's Wi-Fi and all sorts of good stuff. I would encourage you to spend your money here in Windsor.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter
I was there the other day with a number of Americans and couldn't get anything to eat. It was closed. They were not happy.
With that, we'll adjourn the meeting.