Evidence of meeting #104 for Industry, Science and Technology in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was investments.
A video is available from Parliament.
4:50 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Industry
I can't answer that question. As we indicated, we'll have to come back to you with that.
4:50 p.m.
Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
But why? I mean, these are the main estimates, right?
4:50 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Industry
These are the main estimates, and the way it is broken out is as follows in terms of the way it has been done, and it's done by program.
4:50 p.m.
Conservative
4:50 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Industry
If you want the totals, then we will have to come back to you with the totals.
4:50 p.m.
Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
The whole argument that has been made with the superclusters and this and that is that if we give money to companies, there will be jobs created. What I'm trying to do is figure out, as a parliamentarian at the main estimates, how much money you've given to companies and how many jobs have been created. Can you tell me how much you've given to companies?
4:50 p.m.
Liberal
Navdeep Bains Liberal Mississauga—Malton, ON
If I may, as I indicated, the total amount for the portfolio is $7.8 billion, of which we will siphon off and determine exactly the amount that you're requesting, and we'll make sure we provide you with the job numbers.
4:50 p.m.
Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Okay. I'm just wondering why that's not possible today given that you—
4:50 p.m.
Liberal
Navdeep Bains Liberal Mississauga—Malton, ON
It's not possible today. We're just getting that information.
We'll definitely get back to you.
4:50 p.m.
Conservative
4:50 p.m.
Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Okay. I'm sort of surprised. It's the industry committee, and your department has a lot of grants and contributions that you've talked about, but we don't know how much is going to companies at all or...?
4:50 p.m.
Liberal
Navdeep Bains Liberal Mississauga—Malton, ON
We do know. We're just getting the accurate number for you.
4:50 p.m.
Conservative
4:50 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Industry
No, I do not.
What the main estimates show tends to be the actual changes in the funding related to the program in terms of budget 2017 and budget 2018—
4:50 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Industry
—so in new funding spending from budget 2017 totalling $568.5 million—
4:50 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Industry
—the innovation superclusters was increased to $149.3 million.
4:50 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Industry
The strategic innovation fund was increased $99.3 million—
4:50 p.m.
Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
The question I wanted to ask was that you're spending a lot of Canadian tax dollars on companies, so how many jobs were created? But I can't get to that, so I'll ask, because I know a lot of this has gone to companies like Bombardier and your government has said that it is going to be entering into some sort of unknown financial agreement with Kinder Morgan for the pipeline.... I'm wondering if you have allocated anything in these mains for whatever sort of corporate subsidy you plan to give to a pipeline that was prepared to be built with no public subsidy.
Or do you not know that either?
4:50 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Industry
There are issues in terms of disclosure. What we do provide to all Canadians on a regular basis is that we publish investments made in companies and the total amount of investment. We do this on an aggregate basis—
4:50 p.m.
Conservative
