Evidence of meeting #83 for Science and Research in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was applied.
A recording is available from Parliament.
12:50 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Lloyd Longfield
I'm sorry, but we are out of time.
She could submit it in writing, if there's any additional information.
The next two minutes go to Mr. Blanchette-Joncas.
12:55 p.m.
Bloc
Maxime Blanchette-Joncas Bloc Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Dr. Strickland, I appreciate your advocacy for investments in scientific research. You have a distinguished career, and you have an international perspective. You've done studies in the United States. You understand the importance of being competitive on the international stage in order to attract the best researchers and offer them the best possible conditions.
In Canada, what can the federal government really do to get back in the game when it comes to scientific development?
12:55 p.m.
Professor, Canadian Committee for Science and Technology
This is also why I started a new network at Waterloo called TRuST, Trust in Research Undertaken in Science and Technology. I think if our public better understood the important role of science, our government would also be out there more and championing it as well.
First we have to champion the “worthwhileness” of it—which is probably not a good word—and once we get that going, then we need to have this advisory group, ranging from industry to the most basic sciences, to figure out how to group us together in ways that make us work well together—but we need more money.
12:55 p.m.
Bloc
Maxime Blanchette-Joncas Bloc Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC
Dr. Strickland, do you think the federal government has a role to play, particularly in educating people and making them aware of the importance of scientific research?
The government bought a pipeline for $34 billion. Imagine where we would be today if the government had invested $34 billion in science. Do you have any comments on that?
12:55 p.m.
Professor, Canadian Committee for Science and Technology
We've actually had this problem for many decades, so it's not just this government.
We need to appreciate what science does, and this is why I said it's a long-term thing. It's not just the one government. It's that we do have to get out there and understand the importance of science, and we would really appreciate it if....
I will say that I've had longer conversations with the Prime Minister of Spain than with my Prime Minister. I have spoken to the Mexican government, the state government of Mexico. Other governments want to hear. President Macron, I will say, had a 90-minute conversation with his French physics laureates about how to make sure FREYA stays at the leading edge of physics.
12:55 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Lloyd Longfield
That's great. Thank you.
I think that's an indirect shout-out to see what we can do in Canada here, or maybe a direct shout-out.
Mr. Cannings, go ahead for two minutes, please.
12:55 p.m.
NDP
Richard Cannings NDP South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC
I'd like to continue in that vein.
Yesterday I met with the quantum people from UBC, and I must admit that I don't understand much about how quantum physics works. It's one of those areas in which Canada has a real core of top world researchers. We have the same in AI. The government provided some funding for AI in this budget.
Is that the kind of funding that would make a difference? The quantum field is still quite nascent. There is little opportunity for the monetization of it by companies, but is that where we should be concentrating some of that research funding, in these areas where we have a concentration of work?
12:55 p.m.
Professor, Canadian Committee for Science and Technology
Those two are already among the world's leaders. We spend more per capita on quantum than any other country does, so let's keep that going and let's not lose it. I think in AI we're getting to be stars.
We have to look to the future. What will be the next one? Luckily, for us, we had a billionaire who wanted to start quantum. If we could count on all of our billionaires being science lovers, we'd be great. Then our government would jump in when our billionaires did. Maybe our billionaires would jump in if our government started it. This is one of the things for an advisory council: What are the big ideas of the future? Really, I think a lot of us think we have to get vaccines going in this country. I don't know how this hasn't happened already.
There are other things out there, and we have to think about them and get ready for them.
12:55 p.m.
NDP
Richard Cannings NDP South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC
I'll continue with the vaccines again.
Pieter Cullis, a friend of mine from UBC, was instrumental in the Pfizer vaccine. Is that...?
12:55 p.m.
Professor, Canadian Committee for Science and Technology
That's right. He's the one who did the lipid nanoparticles—which is how the vaccine gets into us—not the vaccine itself, and yet he couldn't get the funds to start the company to do it and have his own vaccine company or be part of a vaccine company. This is why we were sort of stuck waiting, but Pfizer took his technology and ran with it, so the Germans got it and we waited for it.
We can't keep allowing these things to slip through our fingers. All our companies shouldn't go to California.
1 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Lloyd Longfield
Thank you very much.
Thank you to all of our witnesses for your time with us this morning—Dr. June Francis, Dr. Donna Strickland and Dr. Susan Blum. Thank you for all you're doing for science in Canada as well.
Inclusivity is another issue that I wish we had more time to talk about, but this is the way that the committees are structured: We have a little time for a lot of information. However, if there is more information, please do send it in to us.
To the committee, on Thursday, May 2, at 10 o'clock I'll be tabling our most recent report on the research partnerships among Canadian universities, research institutions and entities connected with the People's Republic of China. That will be in the House at House opening on May 2.
We will have a little bit of time at the end of the next meeting to look at the budget for the upcoming Arctic study that we'll be beginning next week as well. We'll take just a few minutes at the end of our meeting on Thursday to address that.
With that, thank you for your time, everyone. The meeting is adjourned.