Evidence of meeting #167 for Finance in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was energy.
A video is available from Parliament.
11:30 a.m.
Chatham-Kent—Leamington, CPC
Thank you, Chair.
How much time do I have?
11:30 a.m.
Chatham-Kent—Leamington, CPC
Thank you.
I have to tell you, the petroleum industry certainly has a different tone from when I was in government and you came to visit us at that time. It was more your having asked...to assist you, to develop the oil sands. It seems like you're on your heels and I can understand that with the current government in place.
I have a question. It's a little bit off the cuff. Mr. Reilly-King and Mr. Vaughan, who funds your organizations?
11:30 a.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, International Institute for Sustainable Development
The International Institute for Sustainable Development has been around for about 30 years. Our funding is from different sources including the Government of Canada, the Ontario government, the Manitoba government—our headquarters are in Winnipeg—the United Kingdom International Development Agency, Denmark, Germany and private individuals.
We've just entered into something called the Circular Economy Leadership Coalition with leading Canadian businesses like Loblaws, IKEA, Unilever and others, so we have, on any given day, about 100 different funders. We're a charitable non-profit, so we have audited statements that we submit to the Canada Revenue Agency yearly.
11:30 a.m.
Chatham-Kent—Leamington, CPC
In essence, then, you are funded by governments. I find that a little odd. I see the industry coming here to the finance committee to enhance their industry and to maybe build our economies, and we have a government agency that's on the attack, as it were. Is that not just a little unfair?
11:30 a.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, International Institute for Sustainable Development
We would argue the importance of having policy coherence. We work very closely, as I just mentioned, with the business sector. There are points where we still have different perceptions on key measures, but we're all here because we want the Canadian economy to succeed, we want Canadian workers to succeed, and the devil's in the detail on some of the specific measures.
For example, can we save the Canadian taxpayer money by putting that allocation elsewhere? That's up to you. It's not up to us. We only say things based on evidence.
11:30 a.m.
Chatham-Kent—Leamington, CPC
Mr. Reilly-King, where does your funding come from?
11:30 a.m.
Research and Policy Manager, Canadian Council for International Co-operation
About 80% of our funding comes from our members, and the remaining 20% comes from a range of different foundations. The biggest portion of that is from the International Development Research Centre. The IDRC funds a three-year program to enhance collaboration between Canadian academics and our members in order to develop a greater evidence base and improve the impact of our programs.
11:35 a.m.
Chatham-Kent—Leamington, CPC
I have not seen a call for membership or anything in that regard. What would a normal member constitute? Would it be just the average citizen who reads about your work and wants to participate?
11:35 a.m.
Research and Policy Manager, Canadian Council for International Co-operation
Our members are around 85 charitable organizations across the country that work in international development and humanitarian assistance.
11:35 a.m.
Chatham-Kent—Leamington, CPC
Again, those organizations would be active in places like, let's just say, Africa, so they have advocacy at the government level to make sure their programs are carried out. Is that a fair analysis?
11:35 a.m.
Research and Policy Manager, Canadian Council for International Co-operation
Exactly. They're trying to have as much impact for the dollars they get as possible. Many of our members work internationally, as you mentioned, but many also have domestic programs.
11:35 a.m.
Chatham-Kent—Leamington, CPC
I've been to a number of African countries, so I'm familiar with those programs. That's good to know.
Mr. Neuheimer, you've had a lot of the floor this morning. I was looking for the article but couldn't find it. Is there a crash in lumber prices in the United States? I thought I read that yesterday. I just scanned over it. Is that going to affect the Canadian industry?
September 25th, 2018 / 11:35 a.m.
Vice-President, International Trade and Transportation, Forest Products Association of Canada
I wouldn't say it's a crash. There's been a little dip in the prices in the last couple of weeks, but it's not a crash. We're not hitting the panic button yet. We're not yet in for a full correction like we were back in 2007, but that is the nature of our business. It's very cyclical.
11:35 a.m.
Liberal
Francesco Sorbara Liberal Vaughan—Woodbridge, ON
Thank you, Chair.
I'm going over to CAPP.
Our growth rate in the second quarter rebounded nicely. GDP was 2.9% in Canada, and a lot of it was due to the energy sector, which is obviously focused in western Canada, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. Our government is supporting energy workers across the country with a number of policies, including the acquisition of the TMX pipeline. We are on the right trajectory with that.
In terms of the capital cost acceleration, how important is that to the sector? Answer very quickly, please.
11:35 a.m.
Vice-President, Oil Sands, Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers
In addition to the market access support, our primary request is the immediate deductibility of capital expenses—100% is how we're framing the issue—and this aligns with recent changes in the United States. It actually moves the needle substantially from an investment perspective. It was the key lever that was responsible for advancing the development of the oil sands under the Liberal government of the 1990s.
11:35 a.m.
Liberal
Francesco Sorbara Liberal Vaughan—Woodbridge, ON
Thank you.
There was news yesterday from TRP that they will start on the fourth leg of Keystone XL in 2019. I think that will go a long way to reducing the discount between WTI and WCS, which would be great.
Moving on to Heart and Stroke, one thing I've been very cognizant of since becoming an MP is the rate of heart disease and the rate of heart disease among women. Women suffer strokes more often than men do. I didn't know that. It's one of those facts that you just don't hear about.
What can we do to raise awareness—because there is a gender issue when it comes to this issue, in terms of raising awareness for women, specifically—and reduce heart disease and the potential for stroke?
11:35 a.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada
Let me just say thank you for your question. One of the things that your government has done through the CIHR, is to impose a sex and gender analysis in all of the research that is conducted. Let me just say that I applaud that, because 70% of the research in animal models or human models is done on males, and too often studies are not powered to be able to arrive at conclusions about the other gender.
On the awareness issues, I'll take heart attacks, for example. Most people think of someone with a heart attack as presenting with chest pain. Most women experience heart attacks without chest pain. They will often present with nausea or overheating. In the emergency room, they will be diagnosed as having indigestion and will therefore have slower access and more permanent damage.
We need to do work to equip both health professionals and women to be very proactive in exhausting the pathways that are available to them, and to demand that the possibility of a heart attack be eliminated when they are in the emergency setting. This is a really big crisis.
The other thing that is a really big issue is that even after diagnosis—for males and females who have had a heart attack—the rate of referral to cardiac rehab and of completion is about 30% lower for women. From a health system perspective, it's making sure that the programs are designed in ways such that women will adhere to them and such that they are referred, because we know that cardiac rehab has benefits to actually repairing the heart and ensuring that people can live in good health and without permanent damage.
11:40 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter
Now is Mr. Poilievre and then the final question will go to Mr. Amos.
Mr. Poilievre.
11:40 a.m.
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said last year that he wanted to phase out the oil sands. In many respects he has been succeeding in that objective. Investment in Canada's oil sands was down for a fourth consecutive year this year.
When Prime Minister Trudeau took office, three of the world's most respected infrastructure companies were planning to build pipelines to tidewater, and all three of them have exited: Enbridge, TransCanada and Kinder Morgan. All three of them have decided to invest elsewhere, in other places.
This decline is ironic given that oil prices have risen under this government. In other words, one would have expected that market conditions would have caused fortunes for our industry to rise as well, but they have gone in precisely the opposite direction.
Do you think your organization is succeeding in having its policy agenda respected by this government?
11:40 a.m.
Vice-President, Government Relations, Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers
We've certainly been happy to see some of the changes in the government's policies, in ways that are supportive of our industry. We were very happy to see TMX continue, and we are happy with the announcement that ensured that it would go forward.
11:40 a.m.
Conservative
11:40 a.m.
Vice-President, Government Relations, Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers
No it hasn't, and we look forward to it beginning.