Evidence of meeting #37 for Official Languages in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was laurentian.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4 p.m.
President and Vice-Chancellor, Laurentian University
It's a provincial jurisdiction.
4 p.m.
Liberal
Paul Lefebvre Liberal Sudbury, ON
Thank you.
That's why you're negotiating directly with the provincial government to see how it might help you, given your situation.
Is that true?
4 p.m.
Liberal
Paul Lefebvre Liberal Sudbury, ON
On April 29, 2020, Laurentian University issued a press release entitled "Laurentian University Facing COVID-19-Related Challenges."
You stated on page 1: …the University was already addressing a $9 million shortfall in its upcoming fiscal year 2020-2021, resulting mainly from the permanent reduction and frozen domestic tuition fees and reductions in provincial funding levels.
Is that correct?
4:05 p.m.
President and Vice-Chancellor, Laurentian University
A whole set of factors are at the root of the university's financial problems, including those indicated in that document.
4:05 p.m.
Liberal
4:05 p.m.
President and Vice-Chancellor, Laurentian University
It was more the budget cuts made by the province.
4:05 p.m.
Liberal
Paul Lefebvre Liberal Sudbury, ON
Thank you.
You began discussions. Does the federal government provide direct funding to you for Laurentian's activities?
4:05 p.m.
President and Vice-Chancellor, Laurentian University
We receive some federal grants for bilingualism and French-language and indigenous programming. We get a not very large percentage from the federal government.
4:05 p.m.
Liberal
Paul Lefebvre Liberal Sudbury, ON
You get that percentage through the province. You don't apply directly to the federal government for funding because it's the province that releases it to you.
Is that true?
4:05 p.m.
President and Vice-Chancellor, Laurentian University
The budget totals approximately $150 million.
4:05 p.m.
Liberal
4:05 p.m.
President and Vice-Chancellor, Laurentian University
I don't have the exact figure.
4:05 p.m.
Liberal
4:05 p.m.
President and Vice-Chancellor, Laurentian University
I can send it to you, but it's a small fraction.
4:05 p.m.
Liberal
Paul Lefebvre Liberal Sudbury, ON
Thank you very much.
The funding that the federal government provides to Laurentian isn't a direct investment. It's the province that pays out that funding, which is used to finance your activities.
Is that correct?
4:05 p.m.
Liberal
Paul Lefebvre Liberal Sudbury, ON
My colleague from Timmins—James Bay suggested last week that the federal government could have granted Laurentian a $10 million loan, which would have helped it avoid filing under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act.
Would a $10 million loan have been enough to avoid that?
4:05 p.m.
Liberal
Paul Lefebvre Liberal Sudbury, ON
Ms. Chouinard, the NDP thinks the federal government should offset the funding cuts that the Conservatives made to Laurentian University.
I'm unfortunately going to ask you to do a little work because this is a very important issue. Could you describe for us in writing what the socioeconomic and sociopolitical consequences are when the federal government always offsets provincial cuts?
As you said at the start of your opening statement, that's the key issue. Is it the federal government's role to meet those needs? What are the consequences when it does so?
4:05 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Emmanuel Dubourg
Pardon me, Ms. Chouinard, but that's all the time Mr. Lefebvre had.
Mr. Beaulieu, go ahead for six minutes.
4:05 p.m.
Bloc
Mario Beaulieu Bloc La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
First of all, thanks to our three speakers.
My question is for Mr. Lacroix.
I also read his book, in which he stated that English-language universities receive 38.4% of federal research funding. That's nearly 5 times the demographic weight of Quebec anglophones.
Since I don't think Mr. Lacroix had a chance to complete his remarks, I'm going to ask him if he would like to do so now.