Evidence of meeting #26 for Science and Research in the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was witnesses.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Dean, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Université de Montréal, As an Individual
Ms. Montreuil's comment on this issue was very important: The choice of indicators is important. However, we can't identify the appropriate indicators, except for specific legislative changes, unless we have an overall strategy.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid
Thank you.
We will now proceed to MP Mahal for five minutes.
MP Mahal, please go ahead.
February 23rd, 2026 / 5:15 p.m.
Conservative
Jagsharan Singh Mahal Conservative Edmonton Southeast, AB
Thank you to all the witnesses for coming here for this testimony today.
Madam Chair, I'll be sharing my time with my colleague Mr. Ho.
Dr. Bouchard, my question is for you. You chaired the advisory panel on the federal research support system, and your report directly informed budget 2024, as you already acknowledged in your opening statement, as well as other government reforms. With the government publicly stating that many of your recommendations were adopted, would you agree that you were effectively one of the principal architects of the current research funding framework, yes or no?
Dean, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Université de Montréal, As an Individual
No, because the recommendations that were implemented did not.... We haven't seen the capstone organization yet. The funding recommendations were made in 2017. We were confirming, on the funding side, recommendations that were made before.
In some sense, the most important recommendations for us haven't been acted upon.
Conservative
Jagsharan Singh Mahal Conservative Edmonton Southeast, AB
Doctor, did you not just say that the recommendations were adopted in the 2024 budget?
Dean, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Université de Montréal, As an Individual
I said some recommendations were, related to graduate training, so catching up for graduate student funding and for the beginning of an increase in the councils. Actually, they did announce that they wanted to work on the capstone organization, but we haven't seen that reform yet.
Conservative
Jagsharan Singh Mahal Conservative Edmonton Southeast, AB
On a scale of one to 10, how many recommendations were adopted and how many were not adopted?
Dean, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Université de Montréal, As an Individual
I would say the most important ones were announced, but they are not yet enacted. Recommendation one was the creation of the capstone agency. It hasn't been created yet.
Conservative
Jagsharan Singh Mahal Conservative Edmonton Southeast, AB
Only one recommendation has not been created.
Dean, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Université de Montréal, As an Individual
No, it's not just one, but many.
I don't want to begrudge that. Significant investments were made, and the research community was very thankful for that, but recommendations were made in terms of a research support system and were organizational in nature. They haven't been enacted or announced yet. It's been announced that they would work on it.
Conservative
Jagsharan Singh Mahal Conservative Edmonton Southeast, AB
From a layman's standpoint, is it fair to say that you were substantially involved in that report and that the government has in fact implemented that report to a considerable degree?
Dean, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Université de Montréal, As an Individual
No. The key recommendations haven't been enacted. They were announced, but the work hasn't been public. I haven't been involved in developing the capstone agency.
Conservative
Jagsharan Singh Mahal Conservative Edmonton Southeast, AB
If the recommendations were not adopted, did you follow up with the government as to why they were not adopted?
Dean, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Université de Montréal, As an Individual
I ask on a regular basis, “How are we on capstone?” I do ask the question on a regular basis.
I am encouraged that it is still on the table. It was announced in the 2025 budget that the work would be pursued, but it hasn't been. I don't know more than what was announced in the budget.
Conservative
Jagsharan Singh Mahal Conservative Edmonton Southeast, AB
Thank you.
Madam Chair, I'll cede my time to my colleague.
Conservative
Conservative
Jagsharan Singh Mahal Conservative Edmonton Southeast, AB
I'll stay with you, Dr. Bouchard.
Since budget 2024, we have seen the creation of new advisory bodies, plans for funding the capstone organization and large spending announcements, but very little in the way of simplified governance, measurable outcomes and commercialization success.
Given that this reflects part of the blueprint that you offered in the budget 2024 report, do you accept responsibility for how the system is now being implemented by the government?
Dean, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Université de Montréal, As an Individual
Dean, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Université de Montréal, As an Individual
It's because I am not the minister.
I'm an expert, and we've made recommendations. We consulted with close to 1,000 people in Canada and with other jurisdictions. We made our recommendations. Some of them were acted upon, especially for the increase in graduate student funding and in some increases to the councils—
Conservative
Dean, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Université de Montréal, As an Individual
As for the organizational recommendations, they announced that they would work on them, but we haven't yet seen the exact nature of that. It's too early.
If they act upon those recommendations, you can ask me the same question and I'll be able to answer it. Once we see that, I'll be happy to take credit for it, if it corresponds to our recommendations.
Conservative
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid
I'm sorry for interrupting, but the time is up, MP Mahal. Thank you.
We will proceed to MP McKelvie for five minutes.
Please go ahead.
