Evidence of meeting #51 for Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities in the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was organizations.
A recording is available from Parliament.
5:25 p.m.
Doctor of Philosophy Candidate, Ryerson University, As an Individual
—stable advice or realizing what they are getting into.
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
Ray Boughen Conservative Palliser, SK
From your background would you say the investment is worthwhile? Is it too big of a risk depending on what the project is? If it's a project that makes some sense and looks like it has a degree of success tied to it, would you say it's good financial management to go ahead and get involved, or not?
5:25 p.m.
Professor, Ryerson University, Department of Politics and Public Administration, As an Individual
I think it depends on the project. Obviously if you have some private sector investors, they are going to make a calculation as to whether they are going to put up money for such a venture, so they are going to be making calculations.
In many instances they found that private sector investors were not very keen to get involved in this area. The government in the U.K. had to create its own financial institutions to invest in these areas because they were seen from a private sector vantage point as simply being too risky.
5:25 p.m.
Doctor of Philosophy Candidate, Ryerson University, As an Individual
It's actually been mainly philanthropic capital rather than private capital that's been used to fund these projects.
5:25 p.m.
Professor, Ryerson University, Department of Politics and Public Administration, As an Individual
Yes.
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Phil McColeman
You're finished? Then maybe I'll close it out.
In your case, Meghan, you're a philosophy candidate seeking your Ph.D. I'm curious to know if the look at social finance at Ryerson is now part of its academic programming.
5:25 p.m.
Doctor of Philosophy Candidate, Ryerson University, As an Individual
Not really, but the school is interested in it. They actually did a little feature on our work in the newsletter/magazine that went out to the whole university. Certainly the university is interested in social innovation.
5:25 p.m.
Professor, Ryerson University, Department of Politics and Public Administration, As an Individual
We do have a certificate program in non-profit sector management. Financing is part of that. I would say that social financing is a sub-theme that runs through that course and certainly through some of the research we're doing.
There needs to be a lot more work done on this area. It's a growing area and one that obviously is rather complex. It requires a lot of different minds to focus on it to see the different angles and to bring in the opportunities and some of its limitations.
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Phil McColeman
On behalf of the committee, I want to thank you for taking the time today to come in and be connected with us through this video conference, and for sharing with us the knowledge that you have in this area. We'll be moving forward, so if there's any further information that comes along in the next short while that you'd like to pass along to the committee, please do so through our clerk. We'd be happy to make that part of our study.
That ends our committee meeting today.