Industry Committee on Nov. 30th, 2017

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

If I could jump in and answer instead of listening to a lot of banter—

[The Chair, Liberal, Dan Ruimy]

You have about 30 seconds.

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

CCAR is sunsetting. That was done under the previous government. We did save PEARL, because it's a unique facility in this country.

The previous government did not believe in climate change—

[Matt Jeneroux, Conservative, Edmonton Riverbend, AB]

You just said we did, Minister. You just said we did—

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

It did not invest in climate change—

[Matt Jeneroux, Conservative, Edmonton Riverbend, AB]

You said earlier that we did believe in climate change.

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

The intergovernmental panel was set up in 1995. It finally came to climate change being real in 2012.

We have invested billions. There are numerous opportunities for funding, and our officials are working with the researchers to see if there are other opportunities.

[The Chair, Liberal, Dan Ruimy]

Thank you very much.

We are going to move to Mr. Jowhari. You have three minutes.

[Majid Jowhari, Liberal, Richmond Hill, ON]

Thank you.

Welcome, Minister.

In your opening remarks, you specifically talked about the Canada 150 research chairs. You also touched on the under-representation of four designated groups.

Within the three minutes I have, can you expand on what you are hoping to accomplish with the Canada research chairs program and how you would see that bringing equity and diversity into those four designated groups that are under-represented?

Thank you.

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

Research excellence and diversity go hand in hand. In a competitive global economy, we cannot afford to leave any of our talent on the sidelines.

We know when people come from different backgrounds that they bring different experiences, ideas, and perspectives. This may allow them to ask different research questions and use different methodologies that are going to get results that benefit everyone.

I'll give you an example. I think of the first voice recognition software, which was calibrated to only male voices, or the first artificial heart valves, which were created by researchers who happened to be largely men. They created artificial heart valves that fitted only the male-sized heart.

We have excellent researchers in this country. I want them to have a shot. I have spent 25 years fighting for more diversity in research and I'm going to continue to do so.

[Majid Jowhari, Liberal, Richmond Hill, ON]

I have access to a large base of international scholars, researchers both within Canada and outside of Canada. How can the Canada 150 research chairs program facilitate getting them to either stay in Canada or come to Canada?

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

Canada 150 research chairs were announced in budget 2017. The idea was to attract international top talent from around the world, as well as expat Canadians.

When people come here, they will build research teams. The average size of these teams is about 34 or 35 people. They will train the next generation of researchers. They will make new discoveries that could lead to innovations, products, and services.

There was an overwhelming response from around the world. Researchers applied directly to the universities, and one university told us they had 500 applications. We've had the intake. There have now been those nominations for review. The results are tremendous, with 62% being women. That's a real change. Also, 42% are expat Canadians who want to come home. They see their future in research here in Canada.

That's what we heard at the G7. I was at the G7 12 hours after we had launched our new chief science advisor, Dr. Nemer. That was the news of the summit. They wanted to know. They were excited about our commitment to science and to evidence-based decision-making.

[Majid Jowhari, Liberal, Richmond Hill, ON]

I'm done, but I'm going to lobby for a repeat of that next year.

[The Chair, Liberal, Dan Ruimy]

You're done. Thank you very much.

Thank you for playing. We're now moving to our super-duper lightning-speed round.

Mr. Jeneroux, you have two minutes.

[Matt Jeneroux, Conservative, Edmonton Riverbend, AB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

There are six other programs that are supported under CCAR. What is your plan for those programs?

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

As I've explained, CCAR is sunsetting. Our officials are looking at ways to work with the researchers.

We are taking a thoughtful, comprehensive approach to the Arctic. Our Prime Minister has announced a new Arctic policy framework, which means working with the territories, working with northern communities, and working with indigenous peoples. It will be a framework for the north by the north.

[Matt Jeneroux, Conservative, Edmonton Riverbend, AB]

Minister, do you think groups like the network on climate and aerosols, the Canadian Arctic GEOTRACES program, VITALS—Ventilation, Interactions and Transports Across the Labrador Sea—the Canadian network for regional climate and weather processes, and the changing cold regions network will take comfort in the fact that you're answering questions like this today, as opposed to answering what your plan is or what the future is?

Saying that you continue to have these discussions is doing nothing for these programs that are at risk in the same way the PEARL program was.

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

As I said, it was your government that gave the sunset date for this program. We are working with the researchers to see if there are other areas that they can apply to. We have invested on the order of two and a half billion dollars in climate change, and that's in straight research, adaptation, and mitigation. It was your government that cut the adaptation impacts research group at Environment Canada.

[Matt Jeneroux, Conservative, Edmonton Riverbend, AB]

For those listening at home, Minister, you're usually not this partisan. It's a bit of a surprise, to be honest with you.

However, universities are looking for funding for the next.... They want a plan. They want consistent funding. Can you give comfort right now that what we saw in the last budget was an anomaly and that we'll continue to see funding for universities?

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

Let me be very clear. Science has no greater champion than myself.

[The Chair, Liberal, Dan Ruimy]

Thank you very much.

We're going to move to Mr. Bossio. You have two minutes.

Wait, it's Mr. Baylis. You just showed up there.

[Frank Baylis, Liberal, Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC]

Madam Minister, thank you for having come to meet with us today.

It is very important to invest in pure science. As we know, it is the basis of a scientific society. Currently, Canada—and particularly Quebec—has a significant head start in the area of artificial intelligence. I would not like to see us lose this advantage.

Can you tell us what the government is doing to maintain our lead in this area?

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

Thank you for the question.

We were in Montreal two weeks ago to look at the work around artificial intelligence. In budget 2017, our government invested $125 million in artificial intelligence. Why? It seems to be at this tipping point. We have been funding discovery research linked to AI since 1982. Even by the late 1990s, people really weren't sure what it was. There were those continued investments in fundamental research.

It is now at the tipping point, and Canada really has an advantage because we had the leaders in this field. We built the talent base here. When this investment was made...we're attracting companies and we're attracting talent to our companies and institutions. It was amazing. One place told us that they are attracting 10 to 12 people internationally every two weeks.

I hope you all take a look at an article in The Economist from about a month ago. That article talks about “Maple Valley”. People want to know how Canada has been so successful in artificial intelligence. As a government, we've invested $125 million in the pan-Canadian artificial intelligence strategy. It's focused in Toronto, Montreal—

[The Chair, Liberal, Dan Ruimy]

I'm going to have to—

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

—and Edmonton and it's also going to look at the legal—