Finance Committee on Oct. 5th, 2018

[Alana Baker]

The tax is collected on Airbnb users? Yes, but again, that's just for the users. We're talking about the platform level as well. There are multiple levels when it comes to the taxation piece. At the platform level, they also need to be paying sales taxes on the service fees charged to both the guest and the host. The host also needs to be paying taxes on their income, just like traditional rentals as well.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Thank you.

Mr. Currie, I have one last thing on business risk management. You may want to provide additional information to the committee on that discussion.

I really do feel that business risk management doesn't meet the needs of Canadian farmers in the context of the trade war that's been fostered by the President of the United States. They're able to roll out billions of dollars in the immediate term. They're just dealing with their farm bill now. Our business risk management program, with the 70% of reference margins, won't hit the target.

If you want to pass along further information to the committee, we'd be willing to have a look at that.

[Keith Currie]

Great. Thank you. We will get some stuff together.

It should be noted also that for supply-management sectors, they typically don't participate in business risk management programming, so issuing compensation through that program just doesn't make sense.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Okay.

With that, I thank everyone for their presentation and for answering committee members' questions.

We'll take five minutes and then come back to hear from some of the people who are at the back of the room. We will have an open-mike session with six witnesses.

With that, we'll suspend for five minutes.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

We'll reconvene and go to the open-mike sessions, which I think everyone knows are for about one minute.

We'll start with Rishi Jain.

[Rishi Jain, University of Windsor]

Good afternoon, and thank you to the committee for the opportunity to speak with you today.

I represent the World Health Innovation Network at the Odette School of Business at the University of Windsor, with a proposal to drive economic growth through scaling innovation in health systems.

The vast majority of spending in health innovation in Canada is for R and D, over 95%, and not enough is for supporting companies to scale these game-changing innovations. Innovative Canadian companies often leave Canada to grow their businesses, taking with them the jobs and tax revenue they create.

WHIN's proposal for $10 million over five years will allow us to work with innovative Canadian companies, health system leaders, government, academia and citizens to shorten time to market, identify new market opportunities, accelerate innovation procurement and rapidly scale innovative products in Canada, the U.S. and globally. In addition to driving growth for companies, this work will create jobs for Canadians and improve health system quality, accessibility and efficiency, and position Canada as a global leader in scaling health innovation.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Thank you very much.

We now turn to Adam Hopkins.

[Adam Hopkins, First Nations Technical Institute at Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory]

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and honourable members.

[Witness speaks in Lunaapeew and Anishnaabemowin]

Good afternoon.

My name is Adam Hopkins, from the First Nations Technical Institute at Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory.

FNTI, along with the other nine indigenous institutes in Ontario, was recently recognized through provincial legislation as the third pillar of publicly funded post-secondary education in the province. FNTI offers several university- and college-level programs, but our aviation program is the one I'm addressing today.

We currently have 21 full-time aviation students enrolled in the program, 39% of whom are female, and all of whom identify as having indigenous heritage. These students come from all corners of the country, and 100% of them find employment upon graduation.

Our aviation graduates play a critical role in the economic and social development of their communities. They are in fact a link so their communities can access affordable and sustainable food, education and training, industry and technology. With a handful of instructors, engineers, seven outdated planes and an airfield from World War I, we are at the maximum number of students we can admit to the program. Sixty indigenous applicants are on our wait-list for admission. We are restrained by our outdated infrastructure and can't admit a single student more.

Minister Garneau recently visited our aviation campus to witness first-hand how FNTI could be a partner in meeting this gap. Our detailed $8.2-million proposal for aviation infrastructure upgrades is available to the committee, in addition to a separate $22-million proposal for a net-zero building to further support growth at the institute. These proposals have already been delivered to Minister Bains and Minister Garneau.

By 2025, Canada will need to hire over 24,000 pilots to keep up with the current pace of demand. FNTI can play a critical role in meeting that demand, in addition to contributing to building and maintaining those vital links to northern and remote communities. We ask that the federal government partner with FNTI to help us increase our capacity to provide this invaluable service.

I thank the committee for its time.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Thank you very much.

Matt Smith is next.

[Matt Smith, ONE Campaign]

Honourable members, my name is Matt Smith. I'm a member of the ONE Campaign in Canada.

Oh, they're all standing behind me.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

You obviously have some backup with you.

[Matt Smith]

Yes, I have a little backup.

Did you know that worldwide, 2.7 million infants die every year at birth? Did you know that adolescent girls account for 74% of all new HIV infections? Did you know that today alone 800 children will die of malaria? These stats are startling, but there's hope, and Canada can be a part of it.

In 2015, 2016 and 2017, your very committee recommended increasing Canada's international assistance and establishing a path to investing 0.7% of Canada's gross national income in official development assistance by 2030. I'm here today to call on the Government of Canada to act on these recommendations in budget 2019 by increasing Canada's spending on global development and humanitarian assistance over 10 years through predictable 15% annual increases to the international assistance envelope, IAE, starting in fiscal year 2019.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Thank you very much.

Lara Seguin.

[Laura Seguin, ONE Campaign]

Hello. My name is Lara Seguin, and I am a member of the ONE Campaign here in Canada.

As you have just heard, and I'm going to reiterate, Canada is the best-performing economy in the G7, and we should be proud. However, on average, Canada invests 37% less on international assistance than other G7 countries. In fact, our investments have dropped by 12% since 2010.

As Canadians we must do more. Worldwide, 766 million people live in extreme poverty, and women and girls are the most affected. New investments in the sustainable development goals present a massive opportunity. Every dollar invested in an additional year of schooling generates earnings and health benefits of approximately $10 in low-income countries.

Let's continue to be proud of Canada's role in the world.

I am here today to ask that in budget 2019 the Government of Canada commit to increasing Canada's spending on global development over 10 years, through predictable 15% annual increases to the international assistance envelope, the IAE, starting in fiscal year 2019.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Thank you very much.

Sarah Fairweather.

[Sarah Fairweather, ONE Campaign]

Good afternoon. My name is Sarah Fairweather, and I'm a member of the ONE Campaign in Canada. I am here today on behalf of over two-thirds of Canadians who believe that it is our responsibility to help others around the world.

Sadly, Canada's contributions to international assistance have been in steep decline. Canada currently invests 0.26% of its gross national income to official development assistance. At this rate Canada is lagging far behind our closest friends and allies in the G7 and OECD, all this despite Canada's support for the Global Fund, additional investment to girls' education and the increases in budget 2018. These are important first steps, but we are still not doing our fair share.

I am here today with the others to ask that in budget 2019 the Government of Canada commit to increasing Canada's spending on global development, over 10 years, through predictable 15% annual increases to the international assistance envelope, IAE, starting in fiscal year 2019.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Thank you very much.

Last on my list is Sasha Caldera.

[Sasha Caldera, Canadians for Tax Fairness]

Honourable members, thank you so much for this opportunity. My name is Sasha Caldera, and I work for an organization called Canadians for Tax Fairness. My organization, along with Publish What You Pay Canada and Transparency International Canada, want to see the Canadian government commit to tackling money laundering, tax avoidance and tax evasion. In our opinion, we believe that the federal government needs to advocate for a publicly accessible registry of beneficial owners of companies during the provincial-territorial finance ministers' meeting.

In budget 2019 we would like to see the following. First, we would like to see a commitment to formally engage stakeholders in exploring a public registry. Second, we would like the government to outline a timetable for stakeholder engagement. A publicly accessible registry of beneficial owners would reduce the administrative burden on behalf of businesses conducting due diligence checks and would also help law enforcement with investigations.

Thank you so much for your time.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Thank you very much. That, I think, concludes this. There's nobody else on our list.

With that, thank you, members. Have a happy Thanksgiving, and a good Thanksgiving weekend. We shall see you in Whitehorse in a little over a week.

The meeting is adjourned.