Evidence of meeting #105 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 businesses.
A video is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Liberal
Bardish Chagger Liberal Waterloo, ON
There is the review of the temporary foreign worker program coming on. I know we've had this conversation between ourselves as well. That conversation resulted in some input being provided to Minister Hajdu's office. I know they're looking forward to seeing the outcomes of the review. We're working closely with the Minister of Immigration as well. Once again, it's a whole-of-government approach.
Any feedback that we're hearing from Canadians, from colleagues, we take very seriously. Once again, will everyone have the outcomes that they want? Not always, but can we strive for better? Yes. That's what the Prime Minister expects of every single one of us.
I can assure you that I take this file very seriously. I know, as much as you want to believe that these notes are coming from the centre or from the service only—we have a lot of respect for the service—but what is clear is that the approach of the previous government was very different from the approach of this government, because your experience is not mine. I can understand why you are projecting on many of those comments, but I can assure you that many things have changed for the good of the country.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Dan Ruimy
Thank you very much.
Mr. Robillard, I give you the floor for the five last minutes.
Liberal
Yves Robillard Liberal Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I want to thank the minister and her advisors for being with us.
My questions come from Frank Baylis, of course, but I'm also very interested in tourism.
In the 2018-2019 main estimates, the Canadian Tourism Commission is asking for $95.7 million in voted appropriations for the destination Canada program.
How will that funding affect tourism in Quebec?
What percentage of that $95.7 million will be invested in Quebec?
Liberal
Bardish Chagger Liberal Waterloo, ON
Thank you for the question.
I know that tourism is important for everyone. The investments we made in the destination Canada program have borne fruit. For example, the number of people visiting Canada is increasing annually.
Destination Canada is working with Tourisme Québec. We actually have tourism associations in every province and territory. We can provide you with figures for Quebec.
An investment of $37.5 million has been made, but there are other programs, as well as co-investments. The objective was for partners to match every dollar invested by Canadians in terms of contribution, but the ratio achieved is rather 1.1:1. In other words, those investments are generating profits.
It's really about partnerships.
We have to work better together.
I know that, when it comes to tourism, the number of international visitors we have seen come to Canada has increased year after year. We know that the number of jobs that are being created has continued to increase in communities across this country, including in Quebec.
Our investments would be for international markets, for people coming to Canada, and then Destination Canada works with the provincial tourism associations.
Liberal
Liberal
Karen Ludwig Liberal New Brunswick Southwest, NB
Thank you, Minister, Mr. Knubley, and Mr. Thompson, for being here.
My question is more specific to really small businesses.
In Atlantic Canada, roughly 50% of our businesses have one to four employees. There is the challenge of finding new markets, but I'm wondering if there's a strategy, particularly for female entrepreneurs, of how to access and even be aware of the services and the new investments that are available and that have come forward from the 2018 budget.
Liberal
Bardish Chagger Liberal Waterloo, ON
Especially for the Atlantic region, CETA is going to be an amazing opportunity to open up a market unlike any others. It's the greatest market of its kind and that's why, as part of the women's entrepreneurship strategy, $10 million is being put in just for businesswomen in international trade. There is the accelerated growth service, which we kicked off in June 2016, the Business Development Bank of Canada, with the Export Development Bank of Canada, NRC, IRAP, the consular services, trade commissioner service, and then the RDAs— in your case, it would be ACOA. We know these small businesses do not have the people power to access programs.
The AGS takes high-growth, high-potential firms, because there is a lot of potential there, they just can't access the programs and services that the government offers. It provides tailored services, because it gets to know the business, to ensure that it is using its time to apply for programs that are going to deliver results, plus it's connecting the business with the right people in international markets.
There's more work to do there. We've been taking a lot of feedback on the trade commissioner service, which ones do well. We work closely with Minister Champagne on that as well. In budget 2018, EDC invested $250 million for women-led SMEs, but you're seeing more and more trade missions taking place with women in business. We make sure there are people from across the country, and then we encourage those people to make sure they're sharing that information within their networks, especially in small communities like in the Atlantic region, because people talk to people.
I will give a shout-out to ACOA. My visits to the east have been quite motivational because we don't talk about the successes of the people there. Rendez-vous is taking place in Halifax in May. I have to give a quick shout-out—I know I'm running out of time—that at Rendez-vous in Calgary, the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada brought a group of people, a group of businesses, to Rendez-vous for the first time. This year, they're bringing 41 businesses to Halifax. Not only are they going to be discovering a new market within Canada, but people are going to be there who are really proud of their market that they will be able to showcase, plus we want to open up others.
Thank you.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Dan Ruimy
Thank you very much, Minister.
I know we're tight on time, so I'm going to ask for consent that all the votes be called together. Are we okay with that? Yes, that's excellent.
ATLANTIC CANADA OPPORTUNITIES AGENCY
Vote 1—Operating expenditures..........$66,292,642
Vote 5—The grants listed in any of the estimates for the fiscal year..........$252,896,893
CANADIAN NORTHERN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGENCY
Vote 1—Operating expenditures..........$11,976,317
Vote 5—Contributions..........$16,650,297
CANADIAN SPACE AGENCY
Vote 1—Operating expenditures..........$170,769,731
Vote 5—Capital expenditures..........$112,229,900
Vote 10—The grants listed in any of the estimates for the fiscal year..........$56,411,000
CANADIAN TOURISM COMMISSION
Vote 1—Payments to the commission..........$95,655,544
COPYRIGHT BOARD
Vote 1—Program expenditures..........$3,022,473
DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRY
Vote 1—Operating expenditures..........$390,623,885
Vote 5—Capital expenditures..........$5,983,000
Vote 10—The grants listed in any of the estimates for the fiscal year..........$2,313,338,869
Vote L15—Payments under subsection 14(2) of the Department of Industry Act..........$300,000
Vote L20—Loans under paragraph 14(1)(a) of the Department of Industry Act..........$500,000
DEPARTMENT OF WESTERN ECONOMIC DIVERSIFICATION
Vote 1—Operating expenditures..........$35,965,364
Vote 5—The grants listed in any of the estimates for the fiscal year........$109,773,000
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGENCY OF CANADA FOR THE REGIONS OF QUEBEC
Vote 1—Operating expenditures..........$38,634,370
Vote 5—The grants listed in any of the estimates for the fiscal year..........$233,365,446
FEDERAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGENCY FOR SOUTHERN ONTARIO
Vote 1—Operating expenditures..........$25,158,031
Vote 5—The grants listed in any of the estimates for the fiscal year..........$159,188,390
NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL OF CANADA
Vote 1—Operating expenditures..........$348,097,344
Vote 5—Capital expenditures..........$62,983,970
Vote 10—The grants listed in any of the estimates for the fiscal year..........$395,679,820
NATURAL SCIENCES AND ENGINEERING RESEARCH COUNCIL
Vote 1—Operating expenditures..........$46,122,469
Vote 5—The grants listed in any of the estimates for the fiscal year..........$1,202,907,659
SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES RESEARCH COUNCIL
Vote 1—Operating expenditures..........$26,186,289
Vote 5—The grants listed in any of the estimates for the fiscal year..........$756,932,935
STANDARDS COUNCIL OF CANADA
Vote 1—Payments to the Council that are referred to in paragraph 5(a) of the Standards Council of Canada Act..........$14,943,000
STATISTICS CANADA
Vote 1—Program expenditures..........$373,200,126
(Votes agreed to on division)
Liberal
Liberal