Evidence of meeting #19 for Government Operations and Estimates in the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was businesses.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Carleton—Mississippi Mills, CPC
We've been told that the government doesn't advertise, that they just go out and do their thing. What do you think of the idea of them advertising that they actually have sites that provide all this data so people in general would know about it?
Vice-President and Chief Economist, Canadian Federation of Independent Business
I'd walk before running on that front. I think getting information out to the intermediaries and small-business associations like ours and others would be a good start to a degree, and then monitor usage and see if it goes up significantly. We've only got a couple of years of details about CANSIM, for example, but I'd wait and see. Let's deal with the data first, as opposed to the advertising.
Chief Executive Officer , Canadian Institute of Forestry
I would agree with that. Build the sets up first, make sure that you get something pretty decent to market—and I think you're getting there—and then look at that.
NDP
Anne-Marie Day NDP Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I would like to come back to the issue of transparency.
One of the priorities in the context of open data in Canada was to increase transparency and accountability, and to stimulate innovation and economic growth across the country.
In order to achieve that goal, what sort of conditions are needed in your respective fields?
Vice-President and Chief Economist, Canadian Federation of Independent Business
Are you directing that to me?
Chief Executive Officer , Canadian Institute of Forestry
Go ahead first.
Vice-President and Chief Economist, Canadian Federation of Independent Business
I'm not quite sure what the question was.
NDP
Anne-Marie Day NDP Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC
In your opinion, what needs to be done to ensure that the open data that we want to promote will better serve your communities and your entrepreneurs?
Mr. Mallett, you listed a number of things. You said that the value of the databases should depend on how it is used. We therefore need to increase the number of users. You also said that we need to find ways to identify all data and microdata.
In your respective fields, what elements could be beneficial for open data?
Vice-President and Chief Economist, Canadian Federation of Independent Business
Let's see some of the additional movements in making this available, once we see more specific information that we think has more currency within the small-business sector. We are certainly letting people know. For example, Industry Canada data benchmarking is something we've been promoting with our particular members along those lines. So when we see more of this information coming out, we'll make sure that we can promote it within our particular sector and perhaps we can move forward.
In terms of accountability and transparency, those are all valuable goals for accountability and so on, but it's not top and centre of the specific information members are looking for. Small businesses are looking for information that particularly helps them make better decisions. It's not so much a government accountability issue, although we understand that's a very important element to the whole open data principle.
Chief Executive Officer , Canadian Institute of Forestry
From my perspective, I think it's bringing disparate datasets together from across the country, if there were some really effective way to do that. There's a lot going on out there. There is a lot going on in the provinces and the territories, and it's not just in terms of industry or development. It's in terms of protection and basically setting aside land for more natural purposes, more recreation.
I think if we had a better handle on the overall level of business activity in the forest sector in Canada and could roll that up more easily—and I'm not sure how we'd do that. Again, there are bodies that could possibly do that, and have a better idea overall of how much natural area there is. I know we have statistics on it, but something that kind of shows there is a balance and there is a sustainability factor across the country would be ideal with regard to bringing data together and making it openly accessible.
Again, I'd say the social licence and bringing about the confidence that the forest sector is sustainable, that would be an ideal sort of situation to me. It's not easy to do, though, because there are so many players, and it generally is the jurisdiction of the provinces.
NDP
Anne-Marie Day NDP Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC
My question is for Mr. Pineau.
We know that some grains are genetically modified and that this has a huge impact. We also know that bees are dying. Our province has a lot of apple trees and apple products. The agricultural industry is very strong in this area.
Do you think that all these data should be posted on the government website in order to inform farmers?
NDP
The Chair NDP Pierre-Luc Dusseault
Thank you, Ms. Day.
Mr. Pineau, you have a few seconds left to answer the question.
Chief Executive Officer , Canadian Institute of Forestry
I think the more openly accessible the data is, the better. I generally feel that way. That's what promotes knowledge and understanding. It's the best scenario to me.
NDP
Conservative
Mark Adler Conservative York Centre, ON
Thank you very much, Chair.
Gentlemen, thank you very much for being here this morning.
I do want to first of all begin with a question to Mr. Mallett. We're all aware of the CFIB and the wonderful work you do to represent small and medium-sized businesses here in Canada.
Could you please tell me roughly how many members CFIB has currently?
Vice-President and Chief Economist, Canadian Federation of Independent Business
It has 39,000 business members across the country.
Conservative
Mark Adler Conservative York Centre, ON
How do you go about collecting the data on these businesses?
Vice-President and Chief Economist, Canadian Federation of Independent Business
There are two ways. One is our district representatives, who are based all across the country and have their own predefined territories, collect information face to face with business owners when they renew their memberships, or when they are bumping into them in their own local areas.
But we also extensively use surveys to collect information about their operating conditions, their preferences for policies, and so on and so forth. So we have developed quite a sophisticated survey arm within CFIB to collect this information.