I'll read it, just for the public record:
That the Committee recognize the valuable role of the BIOCAP Canada Foundation and its partners in creating innovative programs, cooperation and research networks to move Canada toward developing its bioeconomy; and that the Committee respectfully encourages the Government of Canada to provide immediate short term funding to the BIOCAP Canada Foundation in order that it be able to meet its commitments to Canadian university research and launch its 2007-08 research programs on the bioeconomy.
Mr. Chairman, I'm going to speak very.... I think the questions that were asked by Mr. Trost in fact underscore the relevance with respect to the transformation that Canadians and in fact the world have seen with respect to trying to match the technological opportunities that are created—as in our study, for example, on the oil sands—by the production of carbon dioxide.
Mr. Chairman, the presentations made today by the ICON and BIOCAP representatives in fact are giving us an illustration of how research is in fact being bridged with the development of those technologies. Without that bridge, you simply have words and no actions. I think this committee has felt the frustration. We visit the oil sands and we see the tremendous use of technology, but we don't see evidence with respect to what's happening—as Dr. Angus Bruneau pointed out—in matching the innovative capacity, through commercialization, to sequester carbon dioxide or use carbon dioxide in the process of gasification with respect to coal, or in the production of biomass energy capabilities.
These are the challenges this committee's been studying, Mr. Chairman. I have been given to understand that there is a very great frustration on the part of BIOCAP that they are not receiving the last part of their funding, which would allow them to complete the research program they are engaged in at this time.
What I'm suggesting, and I hope the committee will support this, Mr. Chairman, is that we simply ask the relevant minister—in this case I believe it's the Minister of Natural Resources, but I think we're going to have some clarification on that—to meet the $2 million that is required by BIOCAP to meet the research and development schedule they have already embarked upon. It was understood in the original proposal call—albeit it came from another government—that they would be able to complete their research schedule that is presently going on.
When I was on the environment committee we had BIOCAP, and we were impressed at that time that not only had they received federal funding, but they'd been able to enhance that with funding from the private sector. They could see that it was in their interest to have research applied such that development would occur, so they were willing to contribute to that. I think you've seen in the handout from BIOCAP that from the $10 million public investment, they were able to leverage approximately another $27 million, for a $37 million program.
Mr. Chairman, I think it's more than an act of faith; I think it's an act of wisdom for this committee to support them in their interim request. I put that as the motion to activate that request.
Thank you.